Want to be an election judge?

Slots are still available for people interested in serving as an election judge on Nov. 3, according to the chief election authority for Sangamon County.

Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said there are 49 vacancies out of 830, and he is confident his office will be able to fill the positions in time for Election Day.

“Sangamon County takes pride in making sure that we are always fully staffed and trained and capable and ready to execute our elections,” he said.

He said the office also seeks to recruit 30 to 50 people as backup election judges in the event there are unexpected absences.

There are 81 polling locations in the county and, per state law, each site must be staffed with five election judges. The ratio of Republican versus Democrat election judges depends on how a jurisdiction voted for governor in the previous election, Gray said.

Most of the county is Republican and the majority of the polling sites have a three Republican and two Democrats ratio of election judges, he said. About 25 precincts are Democrat leaning and have the reverse ratio.

To qualify to be an election judge, a person must be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen.

Gray said recruiting has become more challenging over time. To overcome that, his office has marketed heavily through social media and direct contacts with people who previously participated as election judges. 

He said his office has also been recruiting “a new generation” with outreach to high school students both in rural and urban areas.

For a student to qualify to be an election judge, they must be a junior or senior, have a certain grade point average and receive permission from their guardians and school administration, he said.

The pay for being an election judge is $220. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.; election judges are expected to arrive an hour before to open the site and help break down once polls have closed.

Those interested in being an election judge must complete a three-hour training.

“It takes you through every aspect of election administration of what you would need to know,” Gray said.

Election judges verify voters’ identity by matching their signature with the one in the official record. Others provide instructions on how to use the machine.

“Then we have election judges who work the tabulator to make sure that people know how to run their marked ballot through the tabulator so that it’s being recorded for their votes,” Gray said.

Election judges bring voting results from their polling location to the County Clerk’s Office after polls close and voters who were in line at 7 p.m. have cast their ballots.

To apply to become an election judge, click here or visit the Sangamon County Clerk’s Office website. Applicants are required to select a party affiliation in the application.