Public Act 098-0004
 
HB1560 EnrolledLRB098 06098 HLH 36137 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
19A-15 as follows:
 
    (10 ILCS 5/19A-15)
    Sec. 19A-15. Period for early voting; hours.
    (a) The period for early voting by personal appearance
begins the 15th day preceding a general primary, consolidated
primary, consolidated, or general election and extends through
the 3rd day before election day.
    (b) A permanent polling place for early voting must remain
open during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m., on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; except that, in addition to
the hours required by this subsection, a permanent early voting
polling place designated by an election authority under
subsection (c) of Section 19A-10 must remain open for a total
of at least 8 hours on any holiday during the early voting
period and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend
during the early voting period.
    (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), an election
authority may close an early voting polling place if the
building in which the polling place is located has been closed
by the State or unit of local government in response to a
severe weather emergency. In the event of a closure, the
election authority shall conduct early voting on the 2nd day
before election day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. The election authority shall notify the State Board
of Elections of any closure and shall make reasonable efforts
to provide notice to the public of the extended early voting
period.
    (d) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), in 2013 only,
an election authority may close an early voting place on Good
Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, provided that the
early voting place remains open 2 hours later on April 3, 4,
and 5 of 2013. The election authority shall notify the State
Board of Elections of any closure and shall provide notice to
the public of the closure and the extended hours during the
final week.
(Source: P.A. 96-637, eff. 1-1-10; 97-81, eff. 7-5-11; 97-766,
eff. 7-6-12.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.