Election judges the 'unsung heroes of democracy'

Without election judges, there would be no elections.

"They are the heart of the process," says Lake County Clerk Willard Helander. "Without them, we couldn't run an election. Without them, the voters wouldn't have the safeguards. It is all about them."

Every election season, officials across the Chicago region drum up thousands of judges to staff precincts, set up voting machines and check voter registration logs.

And there always seems to be openings for a job that pays up to $180 for a day or two of civic duty.

In suburban Cook County alone, about 11,500 election judges are called in to staff more than 2,300 polling sites.

Lake County will likely need about 1,800 election judges for the upcoming Feb. 2 primary. DuPage County uses more than 3,000 judges, Kane County needs about 1,140 and McHenry County may use up to 1,060.

In general, at least two election judges are required per polling site: one identified as a Republican and another as a Democrat. Election judges can also sign up as nonpartisan or to work under either party label.

But in practice, polling sites often need five or more judges depending on the expected voter turnout and difficulty of setup.

Judges are required to staff the front desk of a polling station where voter registration logs are checked, to monitor the voting, to ensure political volunteers are a certain distance away from the station and to help voters operate ballot machines.

If you can't stand a long day, being a judge is not for you. They need to show up early, sometimes a day in advance, to set up the polling site and stay late to transmit vote totals to the central office. The work can last from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the day of an election.

County parties help draw in election judges to the clerk's office, but officials are usually still clamoring for workers in the weeks leading up to voting.

"It is a bit of a science," says Courtney Greve, a spokeswoman for Cook County Clerk David Orr, on deciding how many judges are needed at different locations.

Both Kane and Cook County are required to have a certain number of judges who speak Spanish, and at this point, Kane County Clerk John Cunningham is reporting a shortage of Spanish-speaking judges for the February primary.

Judges are usually trained for their work as well. That training, which sometimes can be done over the Internet, can lead to higher pay in some counties.

Yet, the qualification requirements remain relatively basic. Judges must reside in the county they want to work in. They must be citizens and possess the basic skills to do the job.

Still, the work is critical, says Orr, who calls judges the "unsung heroes of democracy."

Judges function as the barrier between organized, fraud-free elections and ballot box stuffing chaos.

"It's a tough job that requires patience, intelligence, personability and stamina," Orr said. "Election judges are critical to an efficient Election Day."

Judges are required from each party at polling places to act as a check-and-balance. They're expected to weed out attempts by voters to cast more than one ballot or vote in the wrong precinct and raise the alarm if political shenanigans are alleged by either party at the polling station.

Kane County Chief Deputy Clerk Jay Bennett says the judges are "there to serve and protect the voters."

If that hasn't scared you off, applications are now being taken by counties throughout the region for the February election. For more information, call your county or check out their Web site for applications and instructions.

What do election judges do?

• Set up election equipment

• Sign in voters, verify voter qualifications

• Operate voter equipment

• Process/certify votes

• Open polling location

• Assist voters

Workload and pay?

The day can last from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Election Day for between $80 and $170 in compensation, depending on the county and training. Judges also may have to take a preparatory course and help set up polling stations in advance of Election Day.

Qualifications for election judges

• A U.S. citizen

• Local resident

• Registered voter

• Of good standing

• Able to speak, read, write English

• Capable of performing duties

• Not a candidate for office/elected committeemen

Number needed?*

Cook County: 11,500

DuPage County: 3,000

Kane County: 1,140

Lake County: 1,800

McHenry County: 1,060

*Estimates

How do I become an election judge?

Contact your local election department for details:

Cook County: voterinfonet.com or (312) 603-0906

DuPage County: dupageelections.com or (630) 407-5600

Kane County: kanecountyelections.org or (630) 232-5990

Lake County: lakecountyil.gov/countyclerk or (847) 377-2408

McHenry County: co.mchenry.il.us or (815) 334-4242

Sources: Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane and McHenry County election agencies