Attorney General Raoul Will Monitor General Election

CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that more than 170 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from his office will be monitoring elections throughout Illinois on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to ensure that voters’ rights are protected, and polling places are accessible.

Raoul urged voters to call his office if they encounter suspected improper or illegal activity.

Chicago and northern Illinois voters can call 1-866-536-3496.

Central and southern Illinois voters can call 1-866-559-6812.

Dial 711 to access TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services before your call if needed.

Attorney General Raoul also encouraged voters to be aware of their basic voting rights.

“The right to participate in our nation’s democracy is one of the most fundamental rights we have as Americans,” Raoul said. “I am working closely with partners in law enforcement and fellow state attorneys general to ensure everyone has safe access to the polls. Voters have the right to cast a ballot free from intimidation or harassment, and nothing less will be tolerated. People who witness concerning behavior should immediately report it to my office or local law enforcement authorities.”

Raoul reminded voters of some of their basic voting rights:

• Voters have the right to vote if they are in line when the polls close at 7 p.m. or at any other time between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day (10 ILCS 5/17-1).
• If a voter makes a mistake or “spoils” a paper ballot and the voter has not cast the ballot, the voter has the right to receive a replacement ballot (10 ILCS 5/17-11).
• If a voter cannot read, has trouble understanding English, or has a disability, that voter has the right to request voting assistance from anyone other than his or her employer, an agent of his or her employer, or an officer or agent of his or her union (10 ILCS 5/17-14).
• Voters have the right to take unpaid time from work to vote, but no more than two successive hours, as long as they have applied with their employer before Election Day. The employer may set the time of day (10 ILCS 5/17-15).
• No one is allowed to try to influence a voter within 100 feet of the polling place (10 ILCS 5/17-29).
• Under Illinois law, it is a crime to prevent a person from voting or registering to vote using intimidation, force, threat or deception (10 ILCS 5/29-4).

More information about the voting process and voter registration status can be found on the Illinois Board of Elections website or through local election authorities or county clerks’ offices. Voters can also confirm their polling places with their local election authorities or the Illinois State Board of Elections.

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