High School Student Judges

High school students who participate in the Student Judge program play a crucial role in our democracy.

As part of a team of judges, you will be responsible for helping voters and supervising polling place activity. Student election judges can earn up to $170 every election for successfully completing their training and working on Election Day.

If you're a high school senior or junior, you may serve as an election judge even if you are not old enough to vote. Please review the information below, then you may apply online.

Already applied? Complete the application process by submitting your required signature consent form.

We are currently not accepting applications. We will begin the application process for the November 2012 Presidential Election in July; please check back then.

If you have any questions, please contact our student program coordinator at (312) 603-1099.

Qualifications

To qualify as a student judge, you must:

Be a high school senior or junior in good standing
Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Be a U.S. citizen by the next election
Successfully complete an election judge training course conducted by the Clerk's office
Have written consent from your principal and a parent or legal guardian
Reside in Cook County

Responsibilities

Student judges share the same responsibilities, hold the same authority and perform the same tasks as other election judges. They include:

Opening the polling place at 6 a.m. sharp and closing it at 7 p.m.
Setting up election equipment
Providing assistance to voters
Signing in voters
Verifying voter qualifications
Distributing ballots/issuing activation cards for touch screens
Operating voting equipment
Filling out forms
Processing and transmitting votes after the polls close
Certifying vote totals

Hours

As an election judge, you will be expected to work long hours. You must arrive at the polling place at 5 a.m. and stay until the precinct votes are counted and transmitted after the polls close at 7 p.m.

Training

All new election judges must attend a hands-on training session conducted by the Clerk's office. The training sessions are held at a convenient locations throughout the county.

The training, designed to prepare you to carry out your polling place responsibilities, will provide hands-on instruction that focuses on election procedures and voting equipment.

Judge Connect

You will receive your training and assignment information through our online portal, Judge Connect. You will receive an email invitation to log in to Judge Connect. It is important that you access this email as Judge Connect is a critical part of the election judge process.

Compensation

Election judges receive a total of $170 for their work. This compensation is rewarded to students who attend training, pass the test and work on Election Day. All three conditions must be met.

Party affiliation

State law requires that on Election Day you represent either the Democratic or Republican party as an election judge. Five election judges are assigned to a precinct or polling place. Previous precinct election results determine if more Democratic or Republican judges will serve in a precinct.

Restrictions

No more than two student judges — one from each political party — can serve in a single precinct.

Placement

The Clerk's office will notify you by email once you have been appointed to serve and will try to assign you to a polling place located near your home or school.

Missing school

If you serve as a student election judge, you will not be counted absent from school on Election Day, pending principal's signature.

Bilingual judges

The Cook County Clerk's office is always looking for bilingual election judges. State law maintains that all election judges must be able to read and write English. In accordance with federal law, the Clerk’s Office assigns bilingual judges to precincts in suburban Cook County with high concentrations of Spanish- and Chinese-speaking voters who are not proficient in English. The Clerk’s office also provides Spanish and Chinese ballots.

Application/Deadlines

You can fill out a Student Judge application online. After submitting the application, PRINT OUT the signature consent form, get the required signatures and either hand it to your high school coordinator, fax it in or email it to us. Fax forms to (312) 603-9788 or email to SueEllen.Colon@cookcountyil.gov.