Public Act 094-0557
 
HB0115 Enrolled LRB094 04147 JAM 34168 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
Sections 19-8 and 20-8 as follows:
 
    (10 ILCS 5/19-8)  (from Ch. 46, par. 19-8)
    Sec. 19-8. Time and place of counting ballots.
    (a) Each absent voter's ballot returned to an election
authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and
received by that election authority in time to be delivered to
the polling place of the precinct where the elector resides and
to be counted by the judges of election at that polling place
shall be handled in accordance with this subsection. If In case
an absent voter's ballot is received by the election authority
prior to the delivery of the official ballots to the judges of
election of the precinct where the in which said elector
resides, then the absent voter's such ballot envelope and
application, sealed in the carrier envelope, shall be enclosed
in the same such package with the official ballots and
therewith delivered to the judges of that such precinct. If In
case the official ballots for that such precinct have already
been delivered to the judges of election when at the time of
the receipt by the election authority receives the of such
absent voter's ballot, then the such authority shall
immediately enclose the said envelope containing the absent
voter's ballot, together with the voter's his application
therefor, in a larger or carrier envelope which shall be
securely sealed and addressed on the face to the judges of
election, giving the name or number of precinct, street and
number of polling place, city or town in which the such absent
voter is a qualified elector, and the words "This envelope
contains an absent voter's ballot and must be opened only on
election day at the polls immediately after the polls are
closed,". The election authority shall mail the ballot mailing
the same, postage prepaid, to the such judges of election, or
if more convenient, the election authority such officer may
deliver the such absent voter's ballot to the judges of
election in person or by duly deputized agent, the authority
said officer to secure a his receipt for delivery of the such
ballot or ballots. An absent voter's ballot delivered in error
to the wrong precinct polling place shall be returned to the
election authority and counted as provided in subsection (b).
    (b) Each absent voter's ballot returned to an election
authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and
received by that election authority before the closing of the
polls on election day but too late to be delivered to and
counted at the proper precinct polling place shall be endorsed
by the receiving election authority with the day and hour of
receipt and shall be counted in the office of the election
authority on the day of the election after 7:00 p.m.
    (c) Each absent voter's ballot that is mailed to an
election authority and postmarked by the midnight preceding the
opening of the polls on election day, but that is received by
the election authority after the polls close on election day
and before the close of the period for counting provisional
ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the
receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall
be counted at the office of the election authority during the
period for counting provisional ballots.
    (d) Special write-in absentee voter's blank ballots
returned to an election authority, by any means authorized by
this Article, and received by the election authority at any
time before the closing of the polls on election day shall be
endorsed by the receiving election authority with the day and
hour of receipt and shall be counted at the office of the
election authority during the same period provided for counting
absent voters' ballots under subsection (b). Special write-in
absentee voter's blank ballots that are mailed to an election
authority and postmarked by the midnight preceding the opening
of the polls on election day, but that are received by the
election authority after the polls close on election day and
before the closing of the period for counting provisional
ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the
receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall
be counted at the office of the election authority during the
same periods provided for counting absent voters' ballots under
subsection (c).
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, absent
Absent voters' ballots and special write-in absentee voter's
blank ballots received by returned by absentee voters to the
election authority after the closing of the polls on an
election day shall be endorsed by the election authority
receiving them the same with the day and hour of receipt and
shall be safely kept unopened by the such election authority
for the period of time required for the preservation of ballots
used at the such election, and shall then, without being
opened, be destroyed in like manner as the used ballots of that
such election.
    All absent voters' ballots received by the election
authority after 12:00 noon on election day or too late for
delivery to the proper polling place before the closing of the
polls on election day, and Special Write-In Absentee Voter's
Blank Ballots, except ballots returned by mail postmarked after
midnight preceding the opening of the polls on election day,
shall be endorsed by the election authority receiving the same
with the day and hour of receipt and shall be counted in the
office of the election authority on the day of the election
after 7:00 p.m. All absent voters' ballots delivered in error
to the wrong precinct polling place shall be returned to the
election authority and counted under this provision; however,
all absentee ballots received by the election authority by the
close of absentee voting in the office of the election
authority on the day preceding the day of election shall be
delivered to the proper precinct polling places in time to be
counted by the judges of election.
    (f) Counting required under this Section to begin on
election day after the closing of the polls Such counting shall
commence no later than 8:00 p.m. and shall be conducted by a
panel or panels of election judges appointed in the manner
provided by law. The Such counting shall continue until all
absent voters' ballots and special write-in absentee voter's
blank ballots required to be counted on election day received
as aforesaid have been counted.
    (g) The procedures set forth in Section 19-9 of this Act
and Articles 17 and 18 of this Code, shall apply to all absent
voters' ballots counted under this Section provision,
including comparing the signature on the ballot envelope with
the signature of the voter on the permanent voter registration
record card taken from the master file; except that votes shall
be recorded without regard to precinct designation, except for
precinct offices.
    (h) Where ballots are counted in the office of the election
authority as provided in this Section, each political party,
candidate, and qualified civic organization shall be entitled
to have present one pollwatcher for each panel of election
judges therein assigned.
(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
    (10 ILCS 5/20-8)  (from Ch. 46, par. 20-8)
    Sec. 20-8. Time and place of counting ballots.
    (a) Each absent voter's ballot returned to an election
authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and
received by that election authority in time to be delivered to
the polling place of the precinct where the absent voter is a
qualified elector and to be counted by the judges of election
of that polling place shall be handled in accordance with this
subsection. If the In case any such ballot is received by the
election authority prior to the delivery of the official
ballots to the judges of election of the precinct where the
absent voter is a qualified in which said elector resides, then
the absent voter's such ballot envelope and application, sealed
in the carrier envelope, shall be enclosed in the same package
with the other official ballots and therewith delivered to the
judges of that such precinct. If In case the official ballots
for the such precinct have already been delivered to the judges
of election when at the time of the receipt by the election
authority receives the of such absent voter's ballot, then the
election authority it shall immediately enclose the said
envelope containing the absent voter's ballot, together with
the voter's his application therefor, in a larger or carrier
envelope which shall be securely sealed and addressed on the
face to the judges of election, giving the name or number of
precinct, street and number of polling place, city or town in
which the such absent voter is a qualified elector, and the
words, "This envelope contains an absent voter's ballot and
must be opened only on election day at the polls immediately
after the polls are closed,". The election authority shall mail
the ballot mailing the same, postage prepaid, to the such
judges of election, or if more convenient then the election
authority he or it may deliver the such absent voter's ballot
to the judges of election in person or by duly deputized agent
and secure a his receipt for delivery of the such ballot or
ballots. An absent voter's ballot delivered in error to the
wrong precinct polling place shall be returned to the election
authority and counted as provided in subsection (b).
    (b) Each absent voter's ballot returned to an election
authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and
received by that election authority before the closing of the
polls on election day but too late to be delivered to and
counted at the proper precinct polling place shall be endorsed
by the receiving election authority with the day and hour of
receipt and shall be counted in the office of the election
authority on the day of the election after 7:00 p.m.
    (c) Each absent voter's ballot that is mailed to an
election authority and postmarked by the midnight preceding the
opening of the polls on election day, but that is received by
the election authority after the polls close on election day
and before the close of the period for counting provisional
ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the
receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall
be counted at the office of the election authority during the
period for counting provisional ballots.
    (d) Special write-in absentee voter's blank ballots
returned to an election authority, by any means authorized by
this Article, and received by the election authority at any
time before the closing of the polls on election day shall be
endorsed by the receiving election authority with the day and
hour of receipt and shall be counted at the office of the
election authority during the same period provided for counting
absent voters' ballots under subsection (b). Special write-in
absentee voter's blank ballot that are mailed to an election
authority and postmarked by midnight preceding the opening of
the polls on election day, but that are received by the
election authority after the polls close on election day and
before the closing of the period for counting provisional
ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the
receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall
be counted at the office of the election authority during the
same periods provided for counting absent voters' ballots under
subsection (c).
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, absent
voters' ballots and special write-in absentee voter's blank
ballots received by Absent voter's ballots postmarked after
11:59 p.m. of the day immediately preceding the election
returned to the election authority after too late to be
delivered to the proper polling place before the closing of the
polls on the day of election shall be endorsed by the person
receiving the ballots same with the day and hour of receipt and
shall be safely kept unopened by the election authority for the
period of time required for the preservation of ballots used at
the such election, and shall then, without being opened, be
destroyed in like manner as the used ballots of that such
election.
    All absent voters' ballots received by the election
authority after 12:00 noon on election day or too late for
delivery to the proper polling place before the closing of the
polls on election day, except ballots returned by mail
postmarked after midnight preceding the opening of the polls on
election day, shall be counted in the office of the election
authority on the day of the election after 7:00 p.m. All absent
voters' ballots delivered in error to the wrong precinct
polling place shall be returned to the election authority and
counted under this provision.
    (f) Counting required under this Section to begin on
election day after the closing of the polls Such counting shall
commence no later than 8:00 p.m. and shall be conducted by a
panel or panels of election judges appointed in the manner
provided by law. The Such counting shall continue until all
absent voters' ballots and special write-in absentee voter's
blank ballots required to be counted on election day received
as aforesaid have been counted.
    (g) The procedures set forth in Section 19-9 of this Act
and Articles 17 and 18 of this Code, shall apply to all absent
voters' ballots counted under this Section provision; except
that votes shall be recorded without regard to precinct
designation.
    (h) Where certain absent voters' ballots are counted in the
office of the election authority as provided in this Section,
each political party, candidate, and qualified civic
organization shall be entitled to have present one pollwatcher
for each panel of election judges therein assigned.
(Source: P.A. 84-861.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.