Public Act 094-0025
 		





HB1315 Enrolled
LRB094 07318 JAM 37476 b






    AN ACT concerning elections.

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:


 
    Section 5. The Election Code is amended  by changing Section  
17-14 as follows:
 



    (10 ILCS 5/17-14)  (from Ch. 46, par. 17-14)



    Sec. 17-14. Any voter who declares upon oath, properly 
witnessed and with
his or her signature or mark affixed, that 
he or she requires
assistance to vote by reason of blindness, 
physical disability or inability
to read, write or speak the 
English language shall, upon request, be
assisted in marking 
his or her ballot, by 2 judges of
election of different 
political parties, to be selected by all
judges of election of 
each precinct at the opening of the polls or by a
person of the 
voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of

that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union.  A
voter 
who presents an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, 
issued
to that person under the provisions of the Illinois 
Identification Card
Act, indicating that such voter has a Class 
1A or Class 2 disability under
the provisions of Section 4A of 
the Illinois Identification Card Act, or a
voter who declares 
upon oath, properly witnessed, that by reason of any
physical

disability he is unable to mark his ballot shall, upon request, 
be assisted
in marking his ballot by 2 of the election officers 
of different parties as
provided above in this Section or by a 
person of the voter's choice other
than the voter's employer or 
agent of that employer or officer or agent of
the voter's 
union. Such voter shall state specifically the
reason why he 
cannot vote without assistance and, in the case of a
physically 
disabled voter, what his physical disability is and
whether or 
not the disability is permanent.  Prior to entering the voting

booth,
the person providing the assistance, if other than 2 
judges of election,
shall be presented with written 
instructions on how assistance shall be
provided.
This 
instruction shall be prescribed by the State Board of Elections 
and shall
include the penalties for attempting to influence the 
voter's choice of
candidates, party, or votes in relation to 
any question on the ballot and for
not marking the ballot as 
directed by the voter.  Additionally, the person
providing the 
assistance shall sign an oath, swearing not to influence the

voter's choice of candidates, party, or votes in relation to 
any question on
the ballot and to cast the ballot as directed 
by the voter.  The oath shall be
prescribed by the State Board 
of Elections and shall include the penalty for
violating this 
Section.  In the voting booth, such person
shall mark the
ballot 
as directed by the voter, and shall thereafter give no 
information
regarding the same. The judges of election shall 
enter upon the poll lists
or official poll record after the 
name of any elector who received such
assistance in marking his 
ballot a memorandum of the fact and if the
disability is 
permanent. Intoxication shall not be regarded as a physical

disability, and no intoxicated person shall be entitled to 
assistance in
marking his ballot.

    No person shall secure or attempt to secure assistance in 
voting who is
not blind, physically disabled or illiterate as 
herein provided, nor shall any
person knowingly assist a voter 
in voting contrary to the
provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 90-101, eff. 7-11-97.)