§ 11-4

It shall be the duty of the Board of Election Commissioners, established under Article 6 of this Act, to appoint the place of registry in each precinct for the first registration under Article 6 of this Act and the places for registry in subsequent registrations in the manner provided by such Article, and also the polling place in each precinct in such city, village or incorporated town which has adopted or is operating under said Article 6, and to give public notice thereof, and shall cause the same to be fitted up, warmed, lighted and cleaned, but in each election precinct and in each area for which a registration place is designated such place or places shall be in the most public, orderly and convenient portions thereof, and no building or part of a building shall be designated or used as a place of registry, or revision of registration, or as a polling place, in which spirituous or intoxicating liquor is sold. Provided, however, where the Board of Election Commissioners is unable to secure a suitable polling place within the boundaries of a precinct, it may select a polling place on a street immediately adjacent to and adjoining the precinct. Said Board of Election Commissioners may demand of the chief of police or the sheriff, to furnish officers of the law to attend during the progress of any registration, revision or election, at any place or places of registration, or any polling place, or places, designated by said commissioners, or to attend at any meeting of said commissioners. Said officers of the law, shall be furnished by said chief of police or sheriff and shall be stationed in the place or places of registration and polling place or places in such manner as said commissioners shall direct, and during said assignment shall be under the direction and control of the election commissioners. Notwithstanding the above, when there are no more than 50 registered voters in a precinct who are entitled to vote in a local government or school district election, the election authority having jurisdiction over the precinct, is authorized to reassign such voters to one or more polling places in adjacent precincts, within or without the election authority's jurisdiction, for that election. For the purposes of such local government or school district election only, the votes of the reassigned voters shall be tallied and canvassed as votes from the precinct of the polling place to which such voters have been reassigned. The election authority having jurisdiction over the precinct shall approve all administrative and polling place procedures. Such procedures shall take into account voter convenience, and ensure that the integrity of the election process is maintained and that the secrecy of the ballot is not violated. Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat in a place fixed or established by the Board of Election Commissioners pursuant to this Section as a polling place for an election, no election authority shall change the location of a polling place so established for any precinct after notice of the place of holding the election for that precinct has been given as required under Article 12 unless the election authority notifies all registered voters in the precinct of the change in location by first class mail in sufficient time for such notice to be received by the registered voters in the precinct at least one day prior to the date of the election. If, within the 10 days before any election, an election authority changes a polling location, the election authority shall send notice by electronic mail or phone call to the township committeeperson, ward committeeperson, or precinct committeepersons, as applicable, as soon as the location of the polling place is changed.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)