Election Integrity: Election Judges and Poll Watchers Needed

Written by John Biver

Even though the General Election isn’t until November 8, 2022, it isn’t too early to begin considering serving as an Election Judge or a Poll Watcher. Both positions, created by state statute, play an important role in insuring that our elections are conducted according to law.

Since Illinois is a state famous for registered voters residing in cemeteries who vote for Democratic Party candidates, preventing voter fraud is one of the most important tasks for the Judges and Poll Watcher.

Among other things, the outcome of elections obviously determines how billions of tax dollars will be spent. With so much money at stake, some of our fellow fallen human beings are tempted to cheat. A favorite past-time for many fallen politicos is tampering with voting and election results. In the days of computer tabulating, games can be played just as easily as they were in the days of the “hanging chad.”

Here is part of the description of the duty of an Election Judge from the Illinois State Board of Elections:

Election judges are officers of the Circuit Court and have legal authority to conduct the election in the polling place. All judges have equal responsibility and authority. In the performance of their duties, election judges administer the voting procedures, determine voter qualifications and maintain the decorum of the polling place. By majority decision, the judges have the sole power to allow or disallow a challenge to a voter, to cause removal of unauthorized pollwatchers and to limit the number of pollwatchers in the polling place. All persons present in the polling place, or within the campaign free zone, must obey a lawful order of the election judges. Only the election judges may handle election supplies and materials.

That is a serious set of responsibilities. Government-provided training to be an Election Judge is free and it is valuable, since there is quite a bit to know.

Here is the paragraph describing the position of Pollwatchers at the Illinois State Board of Elections website:

Candidates, political parties, qualified organization of citizens, organized proponents and opponents of a ballot proposition, and State nonpartisan civic organizations may appoint pollwatchers. The pollwatchers’ role is established by law. Pollwatchers sometimes referred to as challengers, checkers or simply watchers, are election observers who aid in ensuring the free and fair conduct of elections. Pollwatchers may be in the polling place before the polls open, during the actual voting hours, and after the polls close.

Maintaining our Democratic Republic takes a lot of work — and we all know that both our government and the political arena are in much need of repair. While it might be an obvious statement, neither will occur without more honest people stepping into the fray to help keep things like Election Day honest. Those who serve as Judge of Election will be paid by the County Clerk up to $25o for their time.

Take ACTION: To learn more, click HERE to sign up to be a poll watcher or you can click HERE to find and contact your local Republican Party Chairman, ward or township committeeman to let them know you are willing and able to serve as a  Judge of Election. You can also click HERE to look up  or your election authority to express your interest in serving as a Judge of Election.

Want to help spread the word to your like-minded friends and neighbors? Click here for a great handout flyer!

The next regularly scheduled election:

General Election
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

We appreciate your feedback! Please contact us at feedback@ifiaction.org.

This article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for 2022.