Important Dates and Details
- Application Deadline: January 20, 2026 is the deadline for submitting applications to serve as an election judge.
- Election Day: LSC elections take place on a single day: Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Election judges may be assigned to work on Election Day.
- School Assignment: While you can apply to be an election judge, assignment to a school is not guaranteed. Assignments are based on a review of your qualifications, any prior election judge experience, and feedback from surveys collected at previously assigned school sites. Judges may not leave the school site.
- Judge Pay: Judges will be paid a total of $325 ($275 for the day of work, plus an additional $50 to purchase delivered food or bring their own food).
- Meals:Judges will be responsible for providing their own food for the day. Meals will not be provided. Judges may not leave the school site.
How to Apply
For the 2026 LSC Election, CPS is using a secure online application process to hire election judges. To work as a judge for CPS, you will need to complete and sign the following three documents electronically:
- The LSC Election Judge Application (available in English and Spanish)
- A CPS Internal Accounts Vendor Form (available in English and Spanish)
- An IRS W-9 Form (available in both English and Spanish)
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Complete Your Election Judge Application
To start the process, you must request an Election Judge Application using the form linked below. Do not complete the Election Judge Application form more than once. Multiple submissions will delay processing. Once the application is submitted, you will immediately receive an email response that includes a DocuSign link for you to complete the CPS Internal Accounts Vendor and IRS W-9 Forms.
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Complete Your Internal Accounts and IRS W-9 Forms
After submitting the Election Judge Application form, you will receive an email to complete the CPS Internal Accounts Vendor and IRS W-9 Forms.This process utilizes DocuSign, a secure electronic signature platform with industry-standard data encryption technology, to ensure your submission is safe.
Once you click the DocuSign link, enter your name and email address to receive a personalized link. Your personalized application link is specific to you—do not share it. Once you begin the application, complete it as soon as possible. If the document is not completed and signed, the link will expire in a few days. After completion, you will receive an email with a copy of your completed forms. Please note, the information you provide on your election judge application and W-9 Form must match the information associated with your social security number.
Judge Responsibilities
LSC election judges play a critical, front-line role in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the election process. CPS is actively recruiting 2,000 judges to support the 2026 election.
Judges are directly responsible for overseeing the electoral process, which includes:
- Verifying voter eligibility to ensure only qualified community members, parents, staff, and students cast ballots.
- Issuing ballots to verified voters accurately.
- Counting votes reliably and impartially.
- Presenting the official election results to the school community.
Judge Training
Judge applicants who receive a commission letter assigning them to serve as an election judge at a school will need to attend a two-hour in-person training session. Assigned judges who have not taken the training will not be allowed to serve as a judge and will not be paid. The commission letter will include the time and locations of the training sessions. Training will be scheduled for the three weeks before the elections.
Need Assistance?
If you have questions about completing the Election Judge Application online or require assistance with any of the forms, please contact the Office of Local School Council Relations by calling 773-553-1400 or emailing LSCRelations@cps.edu.