Bill > HB3031

This bill allows county boards of election commissioners and county boards to appoint election judges who are unaffiliated with a political party, creating more flexibility in election judge selection. Currently, election judges are typically selected from two major political parties, with a specific balance maintained in each precinct. Under the new provisions, county boards may choose to include one unaffiliated judge per precinct, subject to specific requirements. When an unaffiliated judge is appointed, the two major political parties would still each get two judges in a five-judge precinct (or one judge in a three-judge precinct). The bill specifies that the number of precincts with unaffiliated judges must be evenly distributed between even and odd-numbered precincts. The unaffiliated judge must apply through a process prescribed by the county board and meet the same qualifications as other election judges, such as being a U.S. citizen, of good character, able to read and write English, and skilled in basic arithmetic. This change aims to potentially increase diversity and nonpartisanship in election administration by allowing judges who are not aligned with a specific political party.

Government Affairs

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3031&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104