(10 ILCS 5/24-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 24-8)
Sec. 24-8.
Location of voting machines; time allowed for voting;
pollwatchers. The exterior of the voting machines, and every part of
the polling place shall be in plain view of the election officials. The
voting machine or voting machines shall be placed at least one foot from
every wall and partition of the polling place and at least three (3)
feet from any election officials or table used by them, and it shall be
so placed that no person can see or determine how the voter casts his
vote. After the opening of the polls, the election judges shall permit within
the
proximity of the voting machine or machines at any one
time, not more than twice as many voters
waiting to vote, as there are voting machines in use in that election
precinct or district. They shall not themselves remain or permit any
other person to remain in any position or near any position that would
permit one to see or ascertain how a voter votes, or how he has voted.
No voter shall remain within the voting booth or compartment longer than
four (4) minutes, and if any voter shall refuse to leave after the
expiration of four (4) minutes, he shall at once be removed by the
election officials, or upon their order; provided, however, that one
election judge may station himself at the side of the machine or
machines for the express purpose of actuating the entrance knob, or
other device so the voter can operate the voting machine and also in a
primary, to set the primary lever or device, so as to enable the voter
to vote in the party of which he is a member and to prevent the voter
from voting for the candidate or candidates in any other party. The voting
machine or machines shall be so placed in the polling place that
the ballot labels on the face of the machine can be seen plainly by the
precinct election officials and
pollwatchers when not in use by the
voters. The election precinct officials having charge of each machine
shall inspect the face of the voting machine after each voter has
completed the casting of his vote to see that the ballot labels are in
proper position and that the machine has not been injured or tampered
with, and after any voter has voted, the precinct election officials
having charge of the machine shall, upon request, permit any
pollwatcher to inspect the face
of the voting machine to see that the ballot labels are in proper
position and have not been injured or marked upon and that the machine
has not been tampered with. If it shall be found that such mutilation or
marking shall have occurred, the election board shall immediately notify
the custodian of the voting machines, or the officer or board having
charge of the preparation of the machines, and such custodian or officer
or board shall forthwith replace such ballot labels with new ones.
Pollwatchers as provided by law shall be permitted to carefully check
the voting machine
and its protective devices, and ballot labels and registering counters,
before the polls may be declared open on election morning, and they
shall be permitted to remain in the polling place at all times
throughout the conduct of the election if desired, and after the close
of the polls, to be present and check the protective devices and
registering counters of each voting machine, and the official return
sheets thereof.
(Source: P.A. 89-653, eff. 8-14-96.)
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