10 ILCS 5/24A-10
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 10 - ELECTIONS|10 ILCS 5/ - Election Code.|Article 24A - Electronic, Mechanical Or Electric Voting Systems

 (from Ch. 46, par. 24A-10)Sec. 24A-10. (1) In an election jurisdiction which has adopted an  electronic voting system, the election official in charge of the  election shall select one of the 3 following procedures for receiving,  counting, tallying, and return of the ballots:(a) Two ballot boxes shall be provided for each polling place. The  first ballot box is for the depositing of votes cast on the electronic  voting system; and the second ballot box is for all votes cast on paper  ballots, including any  paper ballots  required to be voted other than on the electronic voting system.  Ballots  deposited in the second  ballot box shall be counted, tallied, and returned as is elsewhere  provided in this Code for the counting and  handling of paper ballots. Immediately after the closing of the polls, the judges of election shall make out a slip indicating the  number of persons who voted in the precinct at the election. Such slip  shall be signed by all the judges of election and shall be inserted by  them in the first ballot box. The judges of election shall thereupon  immediately lock each ballot box; provided, that if  such box is not of a type which may be securely locked, such box shall be  sealed with filament tape provided for such purpose  which shall be wrapped around the box lengthwise and crosswise, at least  twice each way, and in such manner that the seal completely covers the  slot in the ballot box, and each of the judges shall sign such seal. Thereupon  two of the judges of election, of different political parties, shall  forthwith and by the most direct route transport both ballot boxes to  the counting location designated by the county clerk or board of  election commissioners.Before the ballots of a precinct are fed to the electronic tabulating  equipment, the first ballot box shall be opened at the central counting  station by the two precinct transport judges. Upon opening a ballot box,  such team shall first count the number of ballots in the box. If 2 or  more  are folded together so as to appear to have been cast by the same  person, all of the ballots so folded together shall be marked and  returned with the other ballots in the same condition, as near as may  be, in which they were found when first opened, but shall not be  counted. If the remaining ballots are found to exceed the number of  persons voting in the precinct as shown by the slip signed by the judges  of election, the ballots shall be replaced in the box, and the box  closed and well shaken and again opened and one of the precinct  transport judges shall publicly draw out so many ballots unopened as are  equal to such excess.Such excess ballots shall be marked "Excess-Not Counted" and signed  by the two precinct transport judges and shall be placed in the "After  7:00 p.m. Defective Ballots Envelope".  The number of excess ballots  shall be noted in the remarks section of the Certificate of Results.  "Excess" ballots shall not be counted in the total of  "defective"  ballots.The precinct transport judges shall then examine the remaining  ballots for write-in votes and shall count and tabulate the write-in  vote; or(b) A single ballot box, for the deposit of all votes cast, shall be  used. All ballots which are not to be tabulated on the electronic voting  system shall be counted, tallied, and returned as elsewhere provided in this Code   for the counting and handling of paper  ballots.All ballots to be processed and tabulated with the electronic voting  system shall be processed as follows:Immediately after the closing of the polls, the precinct judges of  election then shall open the ballot box and canvass the votes polled to  determine that the number of ballots therein agree with the number of  voters voting as shown by the applications for ballot or if the same do  not agree the judges of election shall make such ballots agree with the  applications for ballot in the manner provided by Section 17-18 of this Code. The judges of election shall then examine all ballot cards and ballot card envelopes which  are in  the ballot box to determine whether the  ballot cards and  ballot card envelopes bear the initials of a precinct judge of election.  If any ballot card or ballot card envelope is not  initialed, it shall be marked on the back "Defective," initialed as to  such label by all judges immediately under such word "Defective," and  not counted, but placed in the envelope provided for that purpose  labeled "Defective Ballots Envelope."When an electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot  card, before separating the ballot cards from their respective  covering envelopes, the judges of election shall examine the ballot card  envelopes for write-in votes. When the voter has voted a write-in vote,  the judges of election shall compare the write-in vote with the votes on  the ballot card to determine whether such write-in results in an  overvote for any office. In case of an overvote for any office, the  judges of election, consisting in each case of at least one judge of  election of each of the two major political parties, shall make a true  duplicate ballot of all votes on such ballot card except for the office  which is overvoted, by using the ballot label booklet of the precinct  and one of the marking devices of the precinct so as to transfer all  votes of the voter except for the office overvoted, to an official  ballot card of that kind used in the precinct at that election. The  original ballot card and envelope upon which there is an overvote shall  be clearly labeled "Overvoted Ballot", and each shall bear the same  serial number which shall be placed thereon by the judges of election,  commencing with number 1 and continuing consecutively for the ballots of  that kind in that precinct. The judges of election shall initial the  "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot" ballot cards and shall place them in the  box for return of the ballots. The "Overvoted Ballot" ballots and their  envelopes shall be placed in the "Duplicate Ballots" envelope. Envelopes  bearing write-in votes marked in the place designated therefor and  bearing the initials of a precinct judge of election and not resulting  in an overvote and otherwise complying with the election laws as to  marking shall be counted, tallied, and their votes recorded on a tally  sheet provided by the election official in charge of the election. The  ballot cards and ballot card envelopes shall be separated and all except  any defective or overvoted shall be placed separately in the box for  return of the ballots. The judges of election shall examine the  ballots and ballot cards to determine if any is damaged or defective so  that it cannot be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment. If any  ballot or ballot card is damaged or defective so that it cannot properly  be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment, the judges of  election, consisting in each case of at least one judge of election of  each of the two major political parties, shall make a true duplicate  ballot of all votes on such ballot card by using the ballot label  booklet of the precinct and one of the marking devices of the precinct.  The original ballot or ballot card and envelope shall be clearly labeled  "Damaged Ballot" and the ballot or ballot card so produced "Duplicate  Damaged Ballot," and each shall bear the same number which shall be  placed thereon by the judges of election, commencing with number 1 and  continuing consecutively for the ballots of that kind in the precinct.  The judges of election shall initial the "Duplicate Damaged Ballot"  ballot or ballot cards, and shall place them in the box for return of  the ballots. The "Damaged Ballot" ballots or ballot cards and their  envelopes shall be placed in the "Duplicated Ballots" envelope. A slip  indicating the number of voters voting in person shall be made out, signed by all  judges of election, and inserted in the box for return of the ballots.  The tally sheets recording the write-in votes shall be placed in this  box. The judges of election thereupon immediately shall securely lock the  ballot box or other suitable  box furnished for return of the ballots by the election official in  charge of the election; provided that if such box is not of a type which  may be securely locked, such box shall be sealed with filament tape provided  for such purpose which shall be wrapped around the box lengthwise and crosswise,  at least twice each way.  A separate adhesive seal label signed by each of  the judges of election of the precinct shall be affixed to the box so as  to cover any slot therein and to identify the box of the precinct; and  if such box is sealed with filament tape as provided herein rather than  locked, such tape shall be wrapped around the box as provided herein, but  in such manner that the separate adhesive seal label affixed to the box  and signed by the judges may not be removed without breaking the filament  tape and disturbing the signature of the judges.  Thereupon, 2 of the  judges of election, of different major political parties, forthwith shall  by the most direct route transport the box for  return of the ballots and enclosed ballots and returns to the central  counting location designated by the election official in charge of the  election. If, however, because of the lack of adequate parking  facilities at the central counting location or for any other reason, it  is impossible or impracticable for the boxes from all the polling places  to be delivered directly to the central counting location, the election  official in charge of the election may designate some other location to  which the boxes shall be delivered by the 2 precinct judges. While at  such other location the boxes shall be in the care and custody of one or  more teams, each consisting of 4 persons, 2 from each of the two major  political parties, designated for such purpose by the election official  in charge of elections from recommendations by the appropriate political  party organizations. As soon as possible, the boxes shall be transported  from such other location to the central counting location by one or more  teams, each consisting of 4 persons, 2 from each of the 2 major  political parties, designated for such purpose by the election official  in charge of elections from recommendations by the appropriate political  party organizations.The "Defective Ballots" envelope, and "Duplicated Ballots" envelope  each shall be securely sealed and the flap or end thereof of each signed  by the precinct judges of election and returned to the central counting  location with the box for return of the ballots, enclosed ballots and  returns.At the central counting location, a team of tally judges designated  by the election official in charge of the election shall check the box  returned containing the ballots to determine that all seals are intact,  and thereupon shall open the box, check the voters' slip and compare the  number of ballots so delivered against the total number of voters of the  precinct who voted, remove the ballots or ballot cards and deliver them  to the technicians operating the automatic tabulating equipment.  Any  discrepancies between the number of ballots and total number of voters  shall be noted on a sheet furnished for that purpose and signed by the  tally judges; or(c) A single ballot box, for the deposit of all votes cast, shall be used.  Immediately after the closing of the polls, the precinct judges of election shall  securely  lock the ballot box; provided that if such box is not of a  type which may be securely locked, such box shall be sealed with filament  tape provided for such purpose which shall be wrapped around the box lengthwise  and crosswise, at least twice each way.  A separate adhesive seal label signed by each of the judges of election  of the precinct shall be affixed to the box so as to cover any slot therein  and to identify the box of the precinct; and if such box is sealed with  filament tape as provided herein rather than locked, such tape shall be  wrapped around the box as provided herein, but in such manner that the separate  adhesive seal label affixed to the box and signed by the judges may not  be removed without breaking the filament tape and disturbing the signature  of the judges.  Thereupon, 2 of the judges  of election, of different  major political parties, shall forthwith by the most direct route transport  the box for return of the ballots and enclosed vote by mail and early ballots  and returns  to the central counting location designated by the election official  in charge of the election.  If however, because of the lack of adequate  parking facilities at the central counting location or for some other reason,  it is impossible or impracticable for the boxes from all the polling places  to be delivered directly to the central counting location, the election  official in charge of the election may designate some other location to  which the boxes shall be delivered by the 2 precinct judges.  While at  such other location the boxes shall be in the care and custody of one or  more teams, each consisting of 4 persons, 2 from each of the two major  political  parties, designated for such purpose by the election official in charge  of elections from recommendations by the appropriate political party  organizations.  As soon as possible, the boxes shall be transported from such other location  to the central counting location by one or more teams, each consisting of  4 persons, 2 from each of the 2 major political parties, designated for  such purpose by the election official in charge of the election from  recommendations  by the appropriate political party organizations.At the central counting location there shall be one or more teams of tally  judges who possess the same qualifications as tally judges in election  jurisdictions  using paper ballots.  The number of such teams shall be determined by the  election authority.  Each team shall consist of 5 tally judges, 3 selected  and approved by the county board from a certified list furnished by the chair   of the county central committee of the party with the majority  of members on the county board and 2 selected and approved by the county  board from a certified list furnished by the chair of the county central  committee of the party with the second largest number of members  on the county board.  At the central counting location a team of tally judges  shall open the ballot box and canvass the votes polled to determine that  the number of ballot sheets  therein agree with the number of voters voting as shown by the applications  for ballot; and, if the same do not agree, the tally judges shall make such  ballots agree with the number of applications for ballot in the manner provided  by Section 17-18 of this Code.  The tally judges shall then examine  all ballot sheets which are in the ballot box to determine whether they  bear the initials of the precinct judge of election.  If any ballot is not  initialed, it shall be marked on the back "Defective", initialed as to such  label by all tally judges immediately under such word "Defective", and not  counted, but placed in the envelope provided for that purpose labeled  "Defective  Ballots Envelope".  An overvote for one office shall invalidate  only the vote or count of that particular office.At the central counting location, a team of tally judges designated  by the election official in charge of the election shall deliver the ballot  sheets to the technicians operating the automatic tabulating equipment.  Any discrepancies between the number of ballots and total number of voters  shall be noted on a sheet furnished for that purpose and signed by the tally  judges.(2) Regardless of which procedure described in subsection (1) of this  Section is used,  the judges of election designated to transport the ballots, properly signed  and sealed as provided herein, shall ensure that the ballots are delivered  to the central counting station no later than 12 hours after the polls close.  At the central counting station a team of tally judges designated by the  election official in charge of the election shall examine the ballots so  transported and shall not accept ballots for tabulating which are not signed  and sealed as provided in subsection (1) of this Section until the  judges transporting the  same make and sign the necessary corrections.  Upon acceptance of the ballots  by a team of tally judges at the central counting station, the election  judges transporting the same shall take a receipt signed by the election  official in charge of the election and stamped with the date and time of  acceptance.  The election judges whose duty it is to transport any ballots  shall, in the event  such ballots cannot be found when needed, on proper request, produce the  receipt which they are to take as above provided.    (Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)