(10 ILCS 5/19A-60)
Sec. 19A-60. Pollwatchers. Pollwatchers may be appointed to observe early
voting by personal appearance at each permanent and temporary polling place
where early voting is conducted. The pollwatchers shall qualify and be
appointed in the same manner as provided in Sections 7-34 and 17-23, except
that
each candidate, political party, or organization of citizens may appoint only
one pollwatcher for each location where early voting by
personal appearance is conducted. Pollwatchers must be residents of the State
and possess valid pollwatcher credentials.
Pollwatchers shall be permitted to observe all proceedings and view all reasonably requested records relating
to the conduct of the early voting, provided the secrecy of the ballot is not impinged, and to station themselves in a position
in the voting room as will enable them to observe the judges or election authority personnel making the
signature comparison between the voter application and the voter
registration record card; provided, however, that the pollwatchers
shall not be permitted to station themselves in such close proximity to
the judges of election or election authority personnel so as to interfere with the orderly conduct of
the voting and shall not, in any event, be permitted to handle
voting or election materials. Pollwatchers may challenge for cause the voting
qualifications of a person offering to vote and may call to the
attention of the judges of election or election authority personnel any incorrect procedure or apparent
violations of this Code.
The judges of election or election authority personnel conducting early voting, or a majority of either of these, have the power
and authority to hear and determine the legality of an early voting ballot.
(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.) |