What is a Judge of Election?
A judge of election is the official responsible for the conduct of the election in the precinct polling place. Judges of election are the backbone of the electoral process. The task is challenging, interesting, and a personally rewarding experience.
Qualifications to be a Judge of Election
In order to qualify as a judge of election, an applicant MUST:
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be a registered voter in the City of Bloomington
- Be of good repute and character
- Be able to speak, read, and write the English language
- Be skilled in the four fundamentals of arithmetic (addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division) - Be of good understanding and capable
- Not be a candidate for any office at the scheduled
elections - Not be an elected precinct committeeperson
Appointment process
Under law, the county Democratic and Republican parties may submit a list of qualified persons by precinct to serve as election judges for their respective parties.
The Board of Election Commissioners appoints these persons to serve as judges of election and the circuit court then confirms the judges not less than 28 days prior to an election.
The Board accepts applications to be an election judge from the general public and works to fill all vacancies. A person may file an application with the City of Bloomington Board of Election Commissioners office or notify one of the political party committees that he/she would like to be placed on the submittal list for that political party.
Length of appointment
Judges of Election are appointed for a two year term.
If I serve as a Judge of Election, will I be paid?
Yes. Election judges who work the full Election Day are paid a base pay of $170 for their services. An election judge who completes the training that is offered for the current election can receive a training bonus of $50, which will be added to the base pay for working on Election Day for a total of $220. Judges that DO NOT attend training WILL NOT receive the $50 bonus. Every election will have a specific training option, and the training must be completed before each election to earn the training bonus.
Can I take time off from work?
Yes, most employers allow time off without loss of wages to serve as an election judge. Please check with your employer to see what guidelines they might have for this community service.
What kind of training will I receive?
Election judges will have different training options, based on what the current election requires. Types of training include “Certified Election Judge training” (offered every 2 years) and “regular training”. Sometimes training will be in-person classes, while other times it will be offered only online. Training can cover all aspects of the Election Judge role, or it can review only specific parts of the Election Day processes. The office staff will determine which content and format the training will take, based on the needs of each election.
