Cook County Early Voting Questions

The following email came to me this afternoon,

"Did you vote yet? I did. I was surprised that the election judges have no tags to show their party or their names. Is this because they are County employees? One judge was helping several people out with the touch screen while they were voting. Is this allowed? Although I think the man wanted to help people, I thought judges or friends who accompany voters to the voting booth must fill out something that the judges file with the county clerk, and that if a judge helps a voter there has to be someone from both parties. What do you think?"

I replied, " I don't know. The Democrats don't always win because there are more of them." I also sent along this copy of the instruction book for Judges of Election put out by David Orr's office where I found the following information on page 88:

Assistance may be provided to:

• Voters unable to physically mark a ballot
• Voters unable to read, speak or write English
• Voters with limited reading and writing skills

The voter may bring a friend or relative to the polling place for
assistance or request help from two election judges (one from
each party). Before issuing a ballot, judges must:

Fill out the universal voter’s affidavit FORM 301.

• If the voter is physically disabled, mark box 7.
• If the voter cannot read English, mark box 6.

The voter and judge must sign the universal voter’s affidavit.