(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, for the purpose of this Article, a person casts a valid vote on a punch card ballot when:
        (1) A chad on the card has at least one corner
    
detached from the card;
        (2) The fibers of paper on at least one edge of the
    
chad are broken in a way that permits unimpeded light to be seen through the card; or
        (3) An indentation on the chad from the stylus or
    
other object is present and indicates a clearly ascertainable intent of the voter to vote based on the totality of the circumstances, including but not limited to any pattern or frequency of indentations on other ballot positions from the same ballot card.
    (b) Write-in votes shall be counted in a manner consistent with the existing provisions of this Code.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5/24A-22

  • Ballot card: means a ballot which is voted by the process of punching. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5/24A-2
  • Marking device: means either an apparatus in which ballots or ballot cards are inserted and used in connection with a punch apparatus for the piercing of ballots by the voter, or any approved device for marking a paper ballot with ink or other substance which will enable the ballot to be tabulated by means of automatic tabulating equipment or by an electronic scanning process. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 10 ILCS 5/24A-2

     (c) For purposes of this Section, a “chad” is that portion of a ballot card that a voter punches or perforates with a stylus or other designated marking device to manifest his or her vote for a particular ballot position on a ballot card as defined in subsection (a).
     (d) Prior to the original counting of any punch card ballots, an election judge may not alter a punch card ballot in any manner, including, but not limited to, the removal or manipulation of chads.