Election Judge Education, Eligibility, and Sign Up

Election Judge Eligibility

To be eligible to serve as an election judge, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of Fulton County
• A registered voter at your current address in Fulton County
• Able to speak, read and write English
• Of good understanding and capable of performing the duties of an election judge

Candidates running for office and elected political party committeepersons are prohibited from serving as election judges. Registered sex offenders in Illinois and every other state are not eligible to serve as election judges.

Election Judge Responsibilities

Election judges have many responsibilities and perform several tasks on Election Day, including:

• Opening the polling place at 6 a.m. sharp and closing it at 7 p.m.
• Setting up election equipment
• Providing assistance to voters
• Signing in voters
• Verifying voter qualifications
• Distributing ballots/activation cards for touch screen machines
• Operating voting equipment
• Filling out forms
• Working together to ensure the polling place is running smoothly and voters are properly served
• Processing and transmitting votes when polls close
• Certifying vote totals

Benefits Of Serving

• Pride in guaranteeing the integrity and security of our local elections.
• Paid $200 per election and $20 for training when appointed to serve in a precinct.
• Ability to earn additional pay for extra responsibilities.

Election Judge Appointment / Placement

State law requires local party officials — township committeepersons who represent the Democratic and Republican parties — appoint and place election judges.

Upon receiving your application, the Clerk’s office will forward the information to your party’s local township committeepersons, who will then contact you. The Clerk’s office will fill any open positions 45 days before an election.

Election Judge Application

Registered Voters Only

Qualifications To Serve As An Election Judge

Serving as an Election Judge requires a full-day commitment to serving Fulton County voters. All Election Judges must meet the following qualifications:

1. I am a citizen of the United States.
2. I am an active registered voter in fulton county & cast my ballot in a primary election for the party I represent.
3. I am of good character and not subject to the registration requirement of the Sex Offender Registration Act.
4. I am not a candidate for any office in the election and am not a Precinct Committeeperson.
5. I am fluent in reading and writing the English language.
6. I am skilled in the fundamental rules of mathematics.
7. I can review the Election Judge Manual and training videos prior to Election Day.
8. I have reliable transportation to get to my assigned Polling Place no later than 5 a.m.
9. I can work from 5 a.m. until closing procedures are completed after the Polls close at 7 p.m. I can stay at the Polling Place the entire day. Illinois law requires the Polls to be open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. All Judges must arrive at the Polls no later than 5 a.m. and must remain until “Closing the Polling Place” procedures are completed. Two judges, one from each political party, must return supplies in the same vehicle.
10. I am able to hear clearly. Under the Help American Vote Act, voters must be given the opportunity to correct errors on their ballot. To ensure compliance, the ballot counter will beep softly to alert voters when they have made an error, such as selecting too many candidates for an office.
11. I can work independently, follow procedures and I will rotate positions throughout the day.
12. I am able to stand for moderate periods of time. Election Judges may be required to stand and monitor the ballot counter as they rotate positions.
13. I have no physical restrictions that would prevent me from performing my duties as an Election Judge.
14. I can provide a minimum two-week notice for cancellations. This allows the Election Department to find alternate Election Judges to work.
15. I am a student election judge participant and have completed the application and all requirements to serve as a Student Election Judge.

• I have read the qualifications and can answer Yes for every Election Judge qualification.
• I wish to serve as an Election Judge in Fulton County. I understand that I must be a Fulton County registered voter and reside in Fulton County in order to serve.