10 ILCS 5/22-9.1
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 10 - ELECTIONS|10 ILCS 5/ - Election Code.|Article 22 - Canvassing Votes

 (from Ch. 46, par. 22-9.1)Sec. 22-9.1. Within 5 days after the last day for proclamation of the results of any  canvass declaring persons nominated, elected or declared eligible for a  runoff election for any office or declaring the  adoption or rejection of a question of public policy, the following  persons may file a petition for discovery:(a) any candidate who, in the entire area in which     votes may be cast for the office for which he is a candidate, received votes equal in number to at least 95% of the number of votes cast for any successful candidate for the same office; and(b) any 5 electors of the same area within which     votes may be cast on a question of public policy, if the results of the canvass are such that the losing side on the question would have been the prevailing side had it received an additional number of votes equal to 5% of the total number of votes cast on the question.A petition under this Section shall be filed with the election authority  for purposes of  discovery only.  The petition shall  ask that ballots, voting machines,  or ballot cards - as the case may be - shall be examined, that any  automatic tabulating equipment shall be tested, and that ballots,  recorded votes, or ballot cards - as the case may be - shall be counted  in specified precincts, not exceeding 25% of the  total number of precincts within the jurisdiction  of the election authority.  Where there are fewer than 4 precincts under  the jurisdiction of the election authority and within the area in which  votes could be cast  in the election in connection with which the petition has been filed,  discovery shall be permitted in one of such precincts.A petition filed under this Section shall be accompanied by the  payment of a fee of $10.00 per precinct specified.  All such fees shall be paid by the election authority into the county or city  treasury, as the case may be.After 3 days notice in writing to the successful candidate for the  same office or, in the case of a question of public policy, such  notice as will reasonably inform interested persons of the time and  place of the discovery proceedings, the election authority shall examine the  ballots, voting machines, ballot cards, voter affidavits and applications  for ballot, test the automatic  tabulating equipment, and count the ballots, recorded votes, and ballot  cards in the specified election districts or precincts.   At the request  of any candidate entitled to participate in the discovery proceedings, the  election authority shall also make available for examination the ballot  applications and voter affidavits for the specified precincts.  Each candidate  affected by such examination shall have the right to attend the same in  person or by his representative.  In the case of a question of public  policy, the board shall permit an equal number of acknowledged  proponents and acknowledged opponents to attend the examination.On completion of the count of any ballots in each district or  precinct, the ballots shall be secured and sealed in the same manner  required of judges of election by Sections 7-54 and 17-20 of the Election Code.  The handling of the ballots in accord with this Section shall not of  itself affect the admissibility in evidence of the ballots in any other  proceedings, either legislative or judicial.The results of the examination and count shall not be certified, used  to amend or change the abstracts of the votes previously completed, used  to deny the successful candidate for the same office his certificate of  nomination or election, nor used to change the previously declared result of the vote  on a question of public policy.  Such count shall not be binding in an  election contest brought about under the provisions of the Election  Code, shall not be a prerequisite to bringing such an election contest,  shall not prevent the bringing of such an election contest, nor shall it  affect the results of the canvass previously proclaimed.       (Source: P.A. 94-647, eff. 1-1-06.)