Committeepersons

Recruiting Election Judges for Your Precinct

In Illinois, election judges are appointed by the county board from lists that the two leading parties' county chairs certify. Under 10 ILCS 5/13-1, the county board appoints the judges in each precinct from certified lists furnished by the county central committee chairs of the two leading parties: three judges from the first party and two from the second. The law also says "the chair of each county central committee shall, insofar as possible, list persons who reside within the precinct."

That last line is why precinct committeepersons matter here. The county chair needs names of people who live in each precinct, and the person who knows the precinct best is its committeeperson. Most county parties ask their committeepersons to recruit judges. If you want to become an election judge yourself, the two best first calls are your county party and your county clerk or board of elections.

For how judge recruitment fits with the rest of the role, see our precinct committeeperson handbook.

How the appointment works

The process under 10 ILCS 5/13-1 has three parts:

1. The parties build lists. The county central committee chairs of the two leading parties each furnish a certified list of names.
2. Residents come first where possible. The chairs are to list people who live within the precinct, insofar as possible.
3. The county board appoints. The county board appoints judges for each precinct from those lists, three from the first party and two from the second.

Everything else, including the specific requirements to serve, how much judges are paid, and what training is required, is set and published by your election authority. Those details are not covered here because they can differ by jurisdiction and change between elections. Contact your county clerk or board of elections for current requirements, pay and training.

If you want to become an election judge

If you found this post because you want to serve, here is the practical path:

1. Contact your county clerk or board of elections. Ask what the requirements are, what the pay is, when training happens, and how to apply.
2. Contact your county party. Because judges come from party lists, the county party (or your precinct committeeperson, if your county has them) can tell you how to get on their list.
3. Ask about your own precinct. The law prefers residents of the precinct where possible, so there is a good chance you can serve close to home.

The work on election day is about helping your neighbors vote, not campaigning. Your election authority can explain exactly what the role involves.

Why committeepersons are the natural recruiters

Outside Cook County, each party elects one precinct committeeperson per precinct at the general primary every two years (10 ILCS 5/7-8(b)), and the committeeperson must live in the precinct. That makes them the person on the party's side most likely to know which neighbors are reliable, available on election days, and willing to help.

Whether your county calls the role committeeperson or uses the older committeeman and committeewoman titles, the logic is the same. There is also a practical reason it falls to committeepersons. A county chair cannot personally know someone in every precinct. A committeeperson who hands the chair a short list of names for their own precinct saves the party from scrambling late, and keeps the precinct staffed by people who know it.

In Cook County, which does not elect precinct committeepersons, this work usually falls to ward and township committeepersons and the volunteer captains their organizations recruit.

A recruiting plan for one precinct

Judge recruitment works best when it is part of the ordinary rhythm of walking your precinct, not a separate scramble before each election.

Start with people you already know

Your first candidates are usually neighbors you have met at the door: retirees, people who have served before, parents who are involved in local schools, and anyone who has told you they want to help but do not want to knock doors. Keep a note on each one.

Ask at the door

When you are already knocking, whether for petitions, registration or turnout, add a short question: "Would you ever be interested in serving as an election judge?" Most people say no, and that is fine. The yeses are worth the asking.

Keep a standing list, not a one-time list

People move, change jobs and lose interest. A list that was solid two years ago may be half gone. Revisit your list every cycle. If someone has served before, ask early whether they plan to serve again, and whether they know a neighbor who might join them. A judge who enjoyed the work is often your best recruiter.

Think about both parties' slots

The statute splits each precinct's judges between the two leading parties, three and two. Your county chair fills your party's share. If your precinct leans heavily one way, finding residents for your party's slots can take more asking, so start earlier there and let your chair know if you are coming up short.

Hand off names early

Ask your county chair when they need names for each election, and get your list in before that date. With the 2027 consolidated elections on February 23 and April 6, 2027, and the 2028 general primary after that, there are several elections in your term that need judges. The two-year committeeperson calendar lays out where each one falls.

Do not promise what you cannot confirm

When you recruit, point people to the election authority for pay, training and requirements. Saying "the clerk's office will walk you through training and pay" is better than guessing at numbers.

Keeping track of who said yes

Recruiting judges is easier when you can see, door by door, who you asked and what they said. Beacon lets you add survey questions to your walks, so a question like "interested in serving as an election judge: yes, no, maybe" sits next to the door result and your notes. Over a few cycles, that becomes a short, reliable list of neighbors who have said yes before.

What judge recruitment is not

The statute does not make judge recruitment a formal duty of precinct committeepersons. The law puts the lists in the hands of the county chairs. Recruitment by committeepersons is what county parties typically expect, because it is the most practical way for a chair to meet the "insofar as possible" residency preference. Ask your county party how they run it.

Make your precinct easy to staff

The best judge lists come from committeepersons who know their precinct door by door. Beacon gives you walk lists on a map, offline mode that syncs later, survey questions, and door results with notes that stay with each address. If you coordinate committeepersons across a county or township, see how Beacon works for party organizations, or start a 14-day trial and add a judge recruitment question to your next walk.