2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 10 - ELECTIONS › 10 ILCS 5/ - Election Code. › Article 11 - Establishment of Election Precincts

(10 ILCS 5/Art. 11 heading)
ARTICLE 11.  
		ESTABLISHMENT OF ELECTION PRECINCTS
(10 ILCS 5/11-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-1)
Sec. 11-1. 
		
		In counties not under township organization, the election
precincts shall remain as now established until changed by the Board of
County Commissioners, but said County Board may, from time to time,
change the boundaries of election precincts and establish new ones. In
counties under township organization, each town shall constitute at
least one election precinct. Insofar as is practicable, each precinct
shall be situated within a single congressional, legislative and
representative district and within a single municipal ward.
In order to situate each precinct within a single district or ward, the
County Board shall change the boundaries of election precincts after each
decennial census as soon as is practicable following the completion of
congressional and legislative redistricting.
At any consolidated primary or consolidated election at which
municipal officers are to be elected, and at any emergency referendum at
which a public question relating to a municipality is to be voted on,
notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the election authority
shall establish a polling place within such municipality upon the request
of the municipal council or board of trustees at least 60 days before the
election and provided that the municipality
provides a suitable polling place.  To accomplish
this purpose, the election authority may establish an election precinct
constituting a single municipality of under 500 population for all
elections, notwithstanding the minimum precinct size otherwise specified
herein.
Notwithstanding the above, when there
are not more than 50 registered voters in a precinct who are entitled to
vote in a local government or school district election, the election
authority having jurisdiction
over the precinct
is authorized to reassign such voters to one or more
polling places in adjacent precincts, within or
without the election authority's jurisdiction, for that
election.  For the purposes of such local government or school district
election only, the votes of the reassigned voters shall be tallied and
canvassed as votes from the precinct of the polling place to which such
voters have been reassigned.  The election authority having
jurisdiction over the precinct shall approve all administrative and polling
place procedures.
Such procedures shall take into account voter convenience, and ensure that the
integrity of the election process is maintained and that the secrecy of the
ballot is not violated.
Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat in a place
fixed or established by any election authority pursuant to this Section as
a polling place for an election, no election authority shall change the
location of a polling place so established for any precinct after notice of
the place of holding the election for that precinct has been given as
required under Article 12 unless the election authority notifies all
registered voters in the precinct of the change in location by first class
mail in sufficient time for such notice to be received by the registered
voters in the precinct at least one day prior to the date of the election.
The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts, including
those where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used.
If, as a result of the redistricting of legislative, representative, or
congressional districts following a decennial census, there exists a census
block with only one voter that is the only census block in a precinct that is
in a legislative, representative, or congressional district, then the county
board, at any meeting of the county board, may change the precinct boundaries
so that the census block is within a precinct that has more than one voter in
the legislative, representative, or congressional district.
(Source: P.A. 88-525.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-2)
Sec. 11-2. Election precincts. The County Board in each county, except in counties having
a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over, shall, at its regular
meeting in June or an adjourned meeting in July, divide its election precincts so that each precinct shall contain,
as near as may be practicable, 1,200 registered voters. Insofar as
is practicable, each precinct shall be situated within a single congressional,
legislative and representative district and in not more than one County Board
district and one municipal ward. In order to situate each precinct within a
single district or ward, the County Board shall change the boundaries of
election precincts after each decennial census as soon as is practicable
following the completion of congressional and legislative redistricting, except that, in 2021, the county board shall change the boundaries at a regular or special meeting within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
In determining whether a division of precincts should be
made, the county board may anticipate increased voter registration in
any precinct in which there is in progress new construction of dwelling
units which will be occupied by voters more than 30 days before the next
election. Each district shall be composed of contiguous territory in as
compact form as can be for the convenience of the electors voting
therein. The several county boards in establishing districts shall
describe them by metes and bounds and number them. And so often
thereafter as it shall appear by the number of votes cast at the general
election held in November of any year, that any election district or
undivided election precinct contains more than 1,200 registered voters, the County
Board of the county in which the district or precinct may be, shall at
its regular meeting in June, or an adjourned meeting in July next, after
such November election, redivide or readjust such election district or
election precinct, so that no district or election precinct shall
contain more than the number of votes above specified. If for any reason
the County Board fails in any year to redivide or readjust the election
districts or election precinct, then the districts or precincts as then
existing shall continue until the next regular June meeting of the
County Board; at which regular June meeting or an adjourned meeting in
July the County Board shall redivide or readjust the election districts
or election precincts in manner as herein required. When at any meeting
of the County Board any redivision, readjustment or change in name or
number of election districts or election precincts is made by the County
Board, the County Clerk shall immediately notify the State Board of
Elections of such redivision, readjustment or change. The County Board
in every case shall fix and establish the places for holding elections
in its respective county and all elections shall be held at the places
so fixed. The polling places shall in all cases be upon the ground floor
in the front room, the entrance to which is in a highway or public
street which is at least 40 feet wide, and is as near the center of the
voting population of the precinct as is practicable, and for the
convenience of the greatest number of electors to vote thereat;
provided, however, where the County Board is unable to secure a suitable
polling place within the boundaries of a precinct, it may select a
polling place at the most conveniently located suitable place outside
the precinct; but in no case shall an election be held in any room used
or occupied as a saloon, dramshop, bowling alley or as a place of resort
for idlers and disreputable persons, billiard hall or in any room
connected therewith by doors or hallways. No person shall be permitted
to vote at any election except at the polling place for the precinct in
which he resides, except as otherwise provided in this Section or Article 19 of this
Act.  In counties having a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over
the County Board shall divide its election precincts and shall fix and
establish places for holding elections as hereinbefore provided during
the month of January instead of at its regular meeting in June or at an
adjourned meeting in July.
However, in the event that additional divisions of election precincts
are indicated after a division made by the County Board in the month of
January, such additional divisions may be made by the County Board in
counties having a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over, at the
regular meeting in June or at adjourned meeting in July. The county
board of such county may divide or readjust precincts at any meeting of
the county board when the voter registration in a precinct has increased
beyond 1,800 registered voters and an election is scheduled before the next regular January
or June meeting of the county board.
When in any city, village or incorporated town territory has been
annexed thereto or disconnected therefrom, which annexation or
disconnection becomes effective after election precincts or election
districts have been established as above provided in this Section, the
clerk of the municipality shall inform the county clerk thereof as
provided in Section 4-21, 5-28.1, or 6-31.1, whichever is applicable. In
the event that a regular meeting of the County Board is to be held after
such notification and before any election, the County Board shall, at
its next regular meeting establish new election precinct lines in
affected territory. In the event that no regular meeting of the County
Board is to be held before such election the county clerk shall, within
5 days after being so informed, call a special meeting of the county
board on a day fixed by him not more than 20 days thereafter for the
purpose of establishing election precincts or election districts in the
affected territory for the ensuing elections.
At any consolidated primary or consolidated election at which
municipal officers are to be elected, and at any emergency referendum at
which a public question relating to a municipality is to be voted on,
notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the election authority
shall establish a polling place within such municipality, upon the request
of the municipal council or board of trustees at least 60 days before the
election and provided that the municipality provides a suitable polling
place.  To accomplish this purpose, the election authority may establish an
election precinct constituting a single municipality of under 500
population for all elections, notwithstanding the minimum precinct size
otherwise specified herein.
Notwithstanding the above, when there
are no more than 50 registered voters in a precinct who are entitled to
vote in a local government or school district election, the election
authority having
jurisdiction over the precinct
is authorized to reassign such voters to one or more polling
places in adjacent precincts, within or without the
election authority's jurisdiction, for that
election.  For the purposes of such local government or school district
election only, the votes of the reassigned voters shall be tallied and
canvassed as votes from the precinct of the polling place to which such
voters have been reassigned.  The election authority having
jurisdiction over the precinct shall approve all administrative and polling
place procedures.
Such procedures shall take into account voter convenience, and ensure that the
integrity of the election process is maintained and that the secrecy of the
ballot is not violated.
Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat in a place
fixed or established by any county board or election authority pursuant to
this Section as a polling place for an election, no election authority
shall change the location of a polling place so established for any
precinct after notice of the place of holding the election for that
precinct has been given as required under Article 12 unless the election
authority notifies all registered voters in the precinct of the change in
location by first class mail in sufficient time for such notice to be
received by the registered voters in the precinct at least one day prior to
the date of the election.
The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts, including
those where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used.
(Source: P.A. 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-2.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-2.1)
Sec. 11-2.1. 
		
		The county board in each
county where any State soldiers' and sailors' home, or any national home
for disabled volunteer soldiers is located, the inhabitants of which are
entitled to vote, shall fix and establish the place or places for holding
elections, at some convenient and comfortable place or places easy of
access on the grounds and within the enclosures where such State soldiers'
and sailors' home, or homes, or national home for disabled volunteer
soldiers are located.
(Source: P.A. 84-808.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-3)
Sec. 11-3. Election precincts.
(a) It shall be the duty of the Board of Commissioners
established by Article 6 of this Act, within 2 months after its first
organization, to divide the city, village or incorporated town which may
adopt or is operating under Article 6, into election precincts, each of
which shall be situated within a single congressional, legislative
and representative district insofar as
is practicable and in not more than one County Board district and one
municipal ward;
in order to situate each precinct within a single district or ward, the
Board of Election Commissioners shall change the boundaries of election
precincts after each
decennial census as soon as is practicable following the completion of
congressional and legislative redistricting
and such precincts
shall contain as nearly as practicable: (i) 1,200 registered voters if the precinct is located in a county with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants; or (ii) 1,800 registered voters if the precinct is located in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants.
(b) Within 90 days after each presidential
election, such board in a city with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, village
or incorporated town shall revise and rearrange such precincts on the
basis of the votes cast at such election, making such precincts to
contain, as near as practicable, 1,200 registered voters or 1,800 registered voters, as applicable. However, any apartment building
in which more than 1,200 or 1,800 registered voters, as applicable, reside may be made a single
precinct even though the vote in such precinct exceeds 1,200 or 1,800 registered voters, as applicable.
(c) Within 90 days after each presidential election, a board in a city with
more than 500,000 inhabitants shall revise and rearrange such precincts on
the basis of the votes cast at such election, making such precincts to
contain, as near as practicable: (i) 1,200 registered voters if the precinct is located in a county with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants; or (ii) 1,800 registered voters if the precinct is located in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants.  However, any apartment building in which more than
1,200 registered voters or 1,800 registered voters, as applicable, reside may be made a single precinct even though the
vote in such precinct exceeds 1,200 or 1,800 registered voters, as applicable.
(d) Immediately after the annexation of territory to the city, village or
incorporated town becomes effective the Board of Election Commissioners
shall revise and rearrange election precincts therein to include such
annexed territory.
(e) Provided, however, that at any election where but one candidate is
nominated and is to be voted upon at any election held in any political
subdivision of a city, village or incorporated town, the Board of
Election Commissioners shall have the power in such political
subdivision to determine the number of voting precincts to be
established in such political subdivision at such election, without
reference to the number of qualified voters therein. The precincts in
each ward, village or incorporated town shall be numbered from one
upwards, consecutively, with no omission.
(f) The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts, including
those where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used.
(Source: P.A. 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4)
Sec. 11-4. 
It shall be the duty of the Board of Election Commissioners,
established under Article 6 of this Act, to appoint the place of registry
in each precinct for the first registration under Article 6 of this Act and
the places for registry in subsequent registrations in the manner provided
by such Article, and also the polling place in each precinct in such city,
village or incorporated town which has adopted or is operating under said
Article 6, and to give public notice thereof, and shall cause the same to
be fitted up, warmed, lighted and cleaned, but in each election precinct
and in each area for which a registration place is designated such place or
places shall be in the most public, orderly and convenient portions
thereof, and no building or part of a building shall be designated or used
as a place of registry, or revision of registration, or as a polling place,
in which spirituous or intoxicating liquor is sold. Provided, however,
where the Board of Election Commissioners is unable to secure a suitable
polling place within the boundaries of a precinct, it may select a polling
place on a street immediately adjacent to and adjoining the precinct. Said
Board of Election Commissioners may demand of the chief of police or the
sheriff, to furnish officers of the law to attend during the progress of
any registration, revision or election, at any place or places of
registration, or any polling place, or places, designated by said
commissioners, or to attend at any meeting of said commissioners. Said
officers of the law, shall be furnished by said chief of police or sheriff
and shall be stationed in the place or places of registration and polling
place or places in such manner as said commissioners shall direct, and
during said assignment shall be under the direction and control of the
election commissioners.
Notwithstanding the above, when there
are no more than 50 registered voters in a precinct
who are entitled to
vote in a local government or school district election,
the election authority
having jurisdiction over the precinct,
is authorized to reassign such voters
to one or more polling
places in adjacent precincts, within or without the
election authority's jurisdiction, for that election.  For
the purposes of such local government or school district election only, the
votes of the reassigned voters
shall be tallied and canvassed as votes from the precinct of the polling place to which
such voters have been reassigned.
The election authority having jurisdiction over the precinct shall approve
all administrative and polling place procedures.
Such procedures shall take into account voter convenience, and ensure that the
integrity of the election process is maintained and that the secrecy of the
ballot is not violated.
Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat in a place
fixed or established by the Board of Election Commissioners pursuant to
this Section as a polling place for an election, no election authority
shall change the location of a polling place so established for any
precinct after notice of the place of holding the election for that
precinct has been given as required under Article 12 unless the election
authority notifies all registered voters in the precinct of the change in
location by first class mail in sufficient time for such notice to be
received by the registered voters in the precinct at least one day prior to
the date of the election.
If, within the 10 days before any election, an election authority changes a polling location, the election authority shall send notice by electronic mail or phone call to the township committeeperson, ward committeeperson, or precinct committeepersons, as applicable, as soon as the location of the polling place is changed.
(Source: P.A. 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-4.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.1)
Sec. 11-4.1. (a) In appointing polling places under this Article, the
county board or board of election commissioners shall, insofar as they are
convenient and available, use schools and other public buildings as polling
places.
(b) Upon request of the county board or board of election commissioners,
the proper agency of government (including school districts and units of
local government) shall make a public building under its control available
for use as a polling place on an election day and for a reasonably
necessary time before and after election day, without charge.
 If the county board or board of election commissioners chooses a school
to be a polling place, then the school district must make the school
available for use as a polling place.
However, for the day of the election, a school district is encouraged to (i) close the school or (ii) hold a teachers institute on that day with students not in attendance.
(c) A government agency which makes a public building under its
control available for use as a polling place shall (i) ensure the portion of
the building to be used as the polling place is accessible to voters with disabilities 
and elderly voters and (ii) allow the election authority to administer the election as authorized under this Code.
(d) If a qualified elector's precinct polling place is a school and the elector will be unable to enter that polling place without violating Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 because the elector is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that elector may vote by a vote by mail ballot in accordance with Article 19 of this Code or may vote early in accordance with Article 19A of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 98-773, eff. 7-18-14; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-4.2) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.2)
Sec. 11-4.2. 
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) all
polling places shall be accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters, as
determined by rule of the State Board of Elections, and each polling place shall include at least one voting booth that is wheelchair accessible.
(b) Subsection (a) of this Section shall not apply to a polling place
(1) in the case of an emergency, as determined by the State Board of
Elections; or (2) if the State Board of Elections (A) determines that all
potential polling places have been surveyed and no such accessible place is
available, nor is the election authority able to make one accessible; and
(B) assures that any voter with a disability or elderly voter assigned to an
inaccessible polling place, upon advance request of such voter (pursuant to
procedures established by rule of the State Board of Elections) will be
provided with an alternative means for casting a ballot on the day of the
election or will be assigned to an accessible polling place.
(c) No later than December 31 of each even numbered year, the State
Board of Elections shall report to the General Assembly and the Federal Election Commission the
number of accessible and inaccessible polling places in the State on the
date of the next preceding general election, and the reasons for any
instance of inaccessibility.
(Source: P.A. 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-4.3) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.3)
Sec. 11-4.3. 
All polling places and permanent registration
facilities shall have available registration and voting aids for
persons with disabilities and elderly individuals including instructions, printed in
large type, conspicuously displayed.
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-5)
Sec. 11-5. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 84-323. Repealed by P.A. 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-5.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-5.1)
Sec. 11-5.1. 
		
		The county board or board of election commissioners, as the case may be,
responsible for the establishment of election precincts, shall include
within some precinct any military establishment which is situated within
the boundaries of the county or municipality, as the case may be.
(Source: P.A. 76-1830.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-6) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-6)
Sec. 11-6. 
Within 60 days after July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-691), each election authority shall transmit to the principal office of the State Board of
Elections and publish on any website maintained by the election authority maps in electronic portable document format (PDF) showing the current boundaries of all the precincts within its jurisdiction. Whenever election precincts in an election jurisdiction have been redivided or readjusted, the county board or board of election commissioners shall prepare maps in electronic portable document format (PDF) showing such election precinct boundaries no later than 90 days before the next scheduled election. The maps shall show the boundaries of all political subdivisions and districts. The county board or board of election commissioners shall immediately forward copies thereof to the chair of each county central committee in the county, to each township, ward, or precinct committeeperson, and each local election official whose political subdivision is wholly or partly in the county and, upon request, shall furnish copies thereof to each candidate for political or public office in the county and shall transmit copies thereof to the principal office of the State Board of Elections and publish copies thereof on any website maintained by the election authority.
(Source: P.A. 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-7) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-7)
Sec. 11-7. 
For the purpose of the conduct of any consolidated election,
consolidated primary election, special
municipal primary election or emergency referendum, an election
authority may cluster up to four contiguous precincts as provided in
this Section, which shall constitute a clustered voting zone.  The
common polling place for the clustered voting zone shall be located
within the territory comprising the clustered precincts.  Unless the election
authority specifies a larger number, only one election judge shall be appointed
for each of the precincts in each clustered voting zone.
The judges so appointed may not all be affiliated with the same
political party.
The conduct of an election in a clustered voting zone shall be under
the general supervision of all the judges of election designated to
serve in the clustered voting zone.  The designated judges may perform
the duties of election judges for the entire clustered voting zone.
However, the requirements of Section 17-14 shall apply to voter
assistance, the requirements of Section 24-10 shall apply to voter
instruction, the requirement of Section 24A-10 shall apply to
examination of vote by mail ballots, and any disputes as to entitlement to
vote, challenges, counting of ballots or other matters pertaining
directly to voting shall be decided by those designated judges appointed
for the precinct in which the affected voter resides or the disputed
vote is to be counted.
This Section does not apply to any elections in municipalities with more
than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
(Source: P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-8)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2029)
Sec. 11-8. Vote centers.
(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, election
authorities shall establish at least one location to be located at an
office of the election authority or in the largest municipality
within its jurisdiction where all voters in its jurisdiction
are allowed to vote on election day during polling place hours,
regardless of the precinct in which they are registered, and that location shall provide curbside voting. Election authorities may establish more than one vote center, but in jurisdictions with a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants, the election authority shall establish at least 2 vote centers. An
election authority establishing such a location under this Section shall identify the location and any health and safety requirements by the 40th day
preceding an election and certify such to the
State Board of Elections.
(b) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2029.
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21; 102-1109, eff. 12-21-22; 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)