
(10 ILCS 5/20-8)

(from Ch. 46, par. 20-8)

    Sec. 20-8. Time and place of counting ballots.
    (a) (Blank.)

(b) Each vote by mail voter's ballot returned to an election authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and received by that election authority may be processed by the election authority beginning on the day it is received by the election authority in the central ballot counting location of the election authority, but the results of the processing may not be counted until the day of the election after 7:00 p.m., except as provided in subsections (g) and (g-5).

(c) Each vote by mail voter's ballot that is mailed to an election authority and postmarked no later than election day, but that is received by the election authority after the polls close on election day and before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall be counted at the central ballot counting location of the election authority during the period for counting provisional ballots.

Each vote by mail voter's ballot that is mailed to an election authority absent a postmark or a barcode usable with an intelligent mail barcode tracking system, but that is received by the election authority after the polls close on election day and before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt, opened to inspect the date inserted on  the certification, and, if the certification date is election day or earlier and the ballot is otherwise found to be valid under the requirements of this Section, counted at the central ballot counting location of the election authority during the period for counting provisional ballots. Absent a date on the certification, the ballot shall not be counted.

If an election authority is using an intelligent mail barcode tracking system, a ballot that is mailed to an election authority absent a postmark may be counted if the intelligent mail barcode tracking system verifies the envelope was mailed no later than election day.

(d) Special write-in vote by mail voter's blank ballots returned to an election authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and received by the election authority at any time before the closing of the polls on election day shall be endorsed by the receiving election authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall be counted at the central ballot counting location of the election authority during the same period  provided for counting vote by mail voters' ballots under subsections (b), (g), and (g-5). Special write-in vote by mail voter's blank ballot that are mailed to an election authority and postmarked no later than election day, but that are received by the election authority after the polls close on election day and before the closing of the period for counting provisional ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall be counted at the central ballot counting location of the election authority during the same periods provided for counting vote by mail voters' ballots under subsection (c).

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, vote by mail voters' ballots and special write-in vote by mail voter's blank ballots received by the election authority after the closing of the polls on the day of election shall be
endorsed by the person receiving the ballots with the day and hour of
receipt and shall be safely kept unopened by the election authority for
the period of time required for the preservation of ballots used at the

election, and shall then, without being opened, be destroyed in like
manner as the used ballots of that election.

(f) Counting required under this Section to begin on election day after the closing of the polls shall commence no later than 8:00 p.m. and shall be conducted
by a panel or panels of election judges appointed in the manner provided
by law. The counting shall continue until all vote by mail voters' ballots and special write-in vote by mail voter's blank ballots required to be counted on election day have been counted.

(g) The procedures set forth in Articles 17 and
18 of this Code shall apply to all ballots counted under
this Section. In addition, within 2 days after a ballot subject to this Article is received, but in all cases before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots, the election judge or official shall compare the voter's signature on the certification envelope of that ballot with the signature of the voter on file in the office of the election authority.  If the election judge or official determines that the 2 signatures match, and that the voter is otherwise qualified to cast a ballot under this Article, the election authority shall cast and count the ballot on election day or the day the ballot is determined to be valid, whichever is later, adding the results to the precinct in which the voter is registered.  If the election judge or official determines that the signatures do not match, or that the voter is not qualified to cast a ballot under this Article, then without opening the certification envelope, the judge or official shall mark across the face of the certification envelope the word "Rejected" and shall not cast or count the ballot.

In addition to the voter's signatures not matching, a ballot subject to this Article may be rejected by the election judge or official:

        (1) if the ballot envelope is open or has been opened and resealed;
        (2) if the voter has already cast an early or grace period ballot;
        (3) if the voter voted in person on election day or the voter is not a duly registered