(10 ILCS 5/17-18) (from Ch. 46, par. 17-18)

Sec. 17-18. Immediately upon closing the polls the judges shall proceed to canvass the votes polled. They shall first count the whole number of ballots in the box. If 2 or more ballots are folded together so as to appear to have been cast by the same person, all of the ballots so folded together shall be marked and returned with the other ballots in the same conditions, as near as may be, in which they were found when first opened, but shall not be counted. If the remaining ballots shall be found to exceed the number of applications for ballot, the ballots shall be replaced in the box, and the box closed and well shaken and again opened and one of the judges shall publicly draw out so many ballots unopened as shall be equal to such excess; and the number of the ballots agreeing with the poll lists, or being made to agree. Such excess ballots shall be marked "Excess-Not Counted" and signed by a majority of the judges and shall be placed in the "After 6:00 p.m. Defective Ballots Envelope". The number of excess ballots shall be noted in the remarks section of the Certificate of Results. "Excess" ballots shall not be counted in the total of "defective" ballots.

The judges shall then proceed to count and record the votes; and when the judges of election shall open and read the ballots, 3 judges, with at least one from each political party from which the precinct judges were chosen, shall carefully and correctly mark down upon the three tally sheets the vote each candidate has received, in a separate box prepared for that purpose, with the name of such candidate at the head of such box, and the office designated by the votes such candidate shall fill. Whenever a proposition is submitted to the electors at the same election, the ballots for or against such proposition shall always be canvassed, counted or tallied. The votes shall be canvassed in the room or place where the election is held, and the judges shall not allow the ballot box, or any of the ballots, or the applications for ballot, or any of the tally sheets to be removed or carried away from such room or place, until the canvass of the vote is completed, and the returns carefully enveloped and sealed up as provided by law.

Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used, the provisions of this section may be modified as required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever is applicable.

(Source: P.A. 83-333.)