Election Judges
The official responsible for the
conduct of the election in the precinct polling place, on Election Day.
Qualifications of an Election Judge
To qualify, an applicant
must:
- be a citizen of the United States;
- be a registered
voter in DuPage County;
- be of good repute and character;
- be
able to speak, read and write the English language;
- be skilled in the
four fundamental rules of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, division and
multiplication)
- be of good understanding and capable;
- not be
a candidate for any office at the election; and
- not be an elected
committeeman.
Illinois Statutes require bipartisan
representation in the polling place. An individual must declare the party
he/she wishes to represent.
Instruction and Training
Illinois
Statutes require judges of election to complete training courses and pass a
written examination in each two-year appointment period. A school of
instruction and training session is conducted for this purpose. Prospective
judges of election will receive a handbook and a home study review test prior
to the school of instruction. All judges must attend and satisfactorily
complete the course or complete the online training & testing offered before each election in order to receive extra compensation for each election
served. The online training is only accessible to judges who have been assigned to work and will require login credentials.
Duties of a Judge of Election
Once appointed and confirmed by the
Circuit Court, a judge of election becomes a deputy of the Court and is
obligated to serve for the full two-year period of appointment.
Judges
should not allow any interference with the performance of their duties.
All judges of election are equal in authority, regardless of length of
service. All decisions regarding challenges to a voter's qualifications must be
made by a majority vote of the judges. The judges should rotate the various
duties during the day.
Commitment
Judges are expected to report
to the polling place by 5:15 a.m. election morning and be prepared to remain
in the polling place for approximately two hours after the 7:00 p.m. close of
the polls.
Salary
Base pay for a Judge of Election is $130 for
Election Day.
A judge who has completed the school of instruction and
testing will receive an additional $30 compensation.
In addition, the
election judges who pick up the election supplies and return them at the
conclusion of Election Day will receive additional compensation.
Healthcare Judges
Healthcare judges are judges of election who go
to State certified healthcare facilities on the Saturday prior to Election
Day to assist voting of healthcare facility residents who are enrolled in
the Healthcare Program. Usually two judges (one from each major political
party) assist voters at a facility to cast their ballot.
Healthcare
judges receive a flat fee of $40.00 (plus mileage to those judges who return
supplies to the Election Commission).
For more information, contact Kathy Vana or see the Judge's
FAQ's.