10 ILCS 5/24B-15
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 10 - ELECTIONS|10 ILCS 5/ - Election Code.|Article 24B - Electronic, Mechanical Or Electric Voting Systems With Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology Capability

Sec. 24B-15. Official return of precinct; check of totals; retabulation. The precinct return printed by the automatic  Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology tabulating equipment  shall include the number of ballots cast  and votes cast for each candidate and proposition and shall  constitute the official return of each precinct.   In addition to the precinct  return, the election  authority shall provide the number of applications for ballots in  each precinct, the write-in votes, the total number of ballots  counted in each precinct for each political subdivision and  district and the number of registered voters in each precinct.  However, the election authority shall check the totals shown by  the precinct return and, if there is an obvious discrepancy regarding  the total number of votes cast in any precinct, shall  have the ballots for that precinct retabulated to correct the  return.  The procedures for retabulation shall apply prior to and after the  proclamation is completed; however, after the proclamation of results, the  election authority must obtain a court order to unseal voted ballots except for  election contests and discovery recounts.  In those election jurisdictions that use in-precinct  counting equipment, the certificate of results, which has been  prepared by the judges of election after the  ballots have been tabulated, shall be the document used for the  canvass of votes for such precinct.  Whenever a discrepancy  exists during the canvass of votes between the unofficial results  and the certificate of results, or whenever a discrepancy exists  during the canvass of votes between the certificate of results  and the set of totals which has been affixed to the certificate  of results, the ballots for that precinct shall be retabulated to  correct the return.  As an additional part of this check prior to  the proclamation, in those jurisdictions where in-precinct  counting equipment is used, the election authority shall  retabulate the total number of votes cast in 5% of the precincts  within the election jurisdiction, as well as 5% of the voting devices used in early voting.  The precincts and the voting devices to be  retabulated shall be selected after election day on a random  basis by the State Board of Elections, so that every precinct in the  election jurisdiction and every voting device used in early voting has an equal mathematical chance of being  selected.  The State Board of Elections shall design a standard  and scientific random method of selecting the precincts and voting devices which are  to be retabulated.  The State central committee chair of each established political party  shall be given prior written notice  of the time and place of the random selection procedure and may  be represented at the procedure.  The retabulation shall  consist of counting the ballots which were originally counted and  shall not involve any determination of which ballots were, in  fact, properly counted.  The ballots from the precincts selected  for the retabulation shall remain at all times under the custody  and control of the election authority and shall be transported  and retabulated by the designated staff of the election  authority.As part of the retabulation, the election authority shall  test the computer program in the selected precincts and on the selected early voting devices.  The test  shall be conducted by processing a preaudited group of ballots  marked to record a predetermined number of valid votes for  each candidate and on each public question, and shall include for  each office one or more ballots which have votes in excess of the  number allowed by law to test the ability of the  equipment and the marking device to reject such votes.  If any error is  detected, the  cause shall be determined and corrected, and an  errorless count shall be made prior to the official canvass and  proclamation of election results.The State Board of Elections, the State's Attorney and other  appropriate law enforcement agencies, the county chair of each  established political party and qualified civic organizations  shall be given prior written notice of the time and place of the  retabulation and may be represented at the retabulation.The results of this retabulation shall be treated in the  same manner and have the same effect as the results of the  discovery procedures set forth in Section 22-9.1 of this Code.  Upon completion of the retabulation, the election authority shall  print a comparison of the results of the retabulation with the  original precinct return printed by the automatic tabulating  equipment.  The comparison shall be done for each precinct and for each early voting device selected for testing and  for each office voted upon within that precinct or on that voting device, and the  comparisons shall be open to the public.  Upon completion of the  retabulation, the returns shall be open to the public.  (Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)