(10 ILCS 5/24A-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 24A-9)
Sec. 24A-9. Prior to the public test, the election authority shall
conduct an errorless pre-test of the automatic tabulating equipment and
program to ascertain that they will correctly count the votes cast for all
offices and all measures. On any day not less than 5 days prior to the
election day, the election authority shall publicly test the automatic
tabulating equipment and program to ascertain that they will correctly
count the votes cast for all offices and on all measures. Public notice of
the time and place of the test shall be given at least 48 hours prior
thereto by publication once in one or more newspapers published within the
election jurisdiction of the election authority if a newspaper is published
therein, otherwise in a newspaper of general circulation therein. Timely
written notice stating the date, time and location of the public test shall
also be provided to the State Board of Elections. The test shall be open to
representatives of the political parties, the press, representatives of the
State Board of Elections, and the public. The test shall be conducted by
processing a preaudited group of ballots so punched or marked as to record
a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each
measure, and shall include for each office one or more ballots which have
votes in excess of the number allowed by law in order to test the
ability of the automatic tabulating equipment to reject such votes.
Such test shall also include the use of precinct header cards and may include
the production of an edit listing. In those election jurisdictions
where in-precinct counting equipment is utilized, a public test of both
such equipment and program shall be conducted as nearly as possible in the
manner prescribed above. The State Board of Elections may select as
many election jurisdictions as the Board deems advisable in the interests of
the election process of this State in which to order a special test of the
automatic tabulating equipment and program prior to any regular election. The
Board may order a special test in any election jurisdiction where, during
the preceding twelve months, computer programming errors or other errors
in the use of electronic voting systems resulted in vote tabulation errors.
Not less than 30 days prior to any election, the State Board of Elections shall
provide written notice to those selected jurisdictions of their intent to
conduct a test. Within 5 days of receipt of the State Board of Elections'
written notice of intent to conduct a test, the selected jurisdictions shall
forward to the principal office of the State Board of Elections a copy of all
specimen ballots. The State Board of Elections' tests shall be conducted and
completed not less than 2 days prior to the public test and under the supervision of the Board. The vendor, person, or other private entity shall be solely responsible for the production and cost of: all ballots; additional temporary workers; and other equipment or facilities needed and used in the testing of the vendor's, person's, or other private entity's respective equipment and software. After an errorless test,
materials used in the public test, including the program, if appropriate, shall
be sealed and remain so until the test is run again on election day. If any
error is detected, the cause therefor shall be ascertained and corrected and an
errorless public test shall be made before the automatic tabulating equipment
is approved. Each election authority shall file a sealed copy of each tested
program to be used within its jurisdiction at an election with the State
Board of Elections prior to the election. The Board shall secure the program
or programs of each election jurisdiction so filed in its office until the next election of the same type (general primary, general election, consolidated primary, or consolidated election) for which the program or programs were filed. Upon
the expiration of that time, if no election contest or appeal therefrom is
pending in an election jurisdiction, the Board shall destroy the sealed program
or programs. Except where
in-precinct counting equipment is utilized, the test shall be repeated
immediately before the start of the official count of the ballots, in the same
manner as set forth above. After the completion of the count, the test shall be
re-run using the same program. An election jurisdiction that was employing, as
of January 1, 1983, an electronic voting system that, because of its design, is
not technically capable of compliance with such a post-tabulation testing
requirement shall satisfy the post-tabulation testing requirement by conducting
the post-tabulation test on a duplicate program until such electronic voting
system is replaced or until November 1, 1992, whichever is earlier.
Immediately thereafter the ballots, all material employed in testing the
program and the program shall be sealed and retained under the custody of the
election authority for a period of 60 days. At the expiration of that time the
election authority shall destroy the voted ballot cards, together with all
unused ballots returned from the precincts. Provided, if any contest of
election is pending at such time in which such ballots may be required as
evidence and such election authority has notice thereof, the same shall not be
destroyed until after such contest is finally determined. If the use of back-up
equipment becomes necessary, the same testing required for the original
equipment shall be conducted.
(Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)
|