HB1902 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 13290 SMS 18634 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1902

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. Deanne M. Mazzochi

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/4-22

from Ch. 46, par. 4-22

Amends the Election Code. Provides that if judges in charge of precinct registration files find that the signature on the certificate of registered voter and the signature on the registration card do not match for the applicant to vote, the applicant shall provide the judges with a valid State issued drivers license, State issued identification card, or passport (rather than requiring judges to ask an applicant the questions for identification that appear on the registration card if they are unsatisfied that the is the identical person who is registered under the same name; and if the applicant does not prove to the satisfaction of a majority of the judges that he is the identical person registered under the name in question, then the vote of the applicant shall be challenged by a judge and the same procedure followed as provided by law for challenged voters.). Provides that the judges shall find that the signature on the certificate and the signature on the registration card do not match in situations that include, but are not limited to, if one signature is in cursive writing and the other is in printed writing.

A BILL FOR

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 4-22 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/4-22) (from Ch. 46, par. 4-22)

Sec. 4-22. Except as otherwise provided in this Section upon application to vote each registered elector shall sign his name or make his mark as the case may be, on a certificate substantially as follows:

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTERED VOTER

City of ....... Ward ....... Precinct .......

Election ....... (Date) ....... (Month) ....... (Year)

Registration Record .......

Checked by .......

Voter's number ....

INSTRUCTION TO VOTERS

Sign this certificate and hand it to the election officer in charge. After the registration record has been checked, the officer will hand it back to you. Whereupon you shall present it to the officer in charge of the ballots.

I hereby certify that I am registered from the address below and am qualified to vote.

Signature of voter .......

residence address .......

An individual shall not be required to provide his social security number when applying for a ballot. He shall not be denied a ballot, nor shall his ballot be challenged, solely because of his refusal to provide his social security number. Nothing in this Act prevents an individual from being requested to provide his social security number when the individual applies for a ballot. If, however, the certificate contains a space for the individual's social security number, the following notice shall appear on the certificate, immediately above such space, in bold-face capital letters, in type the size of which equals the largest type on the certificate:

"THE INDIVIDUAL APPLYING FOR A BALLOT WITH THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE HIS OR HER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. HE OR SHE MAY NOT BE DENIED A BALLOT, NOR SHALL HIS OR HER BALLOT BE CHALLENGED, SOLELY BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER REFUSAL TO PROVIDE HIS OR HER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER."

The certificates of each State-wide political party at a general primary election shall be separately printed upon paper of uniform quality, texture and size, but the certificates of no 2 State-wide political parties shall be of the same color or tint. However, if the election authority provides computer generated applications with the precinct, ballot style and voter's name and address preprinted on the application, a single application may be used for State-wide political parties if it contains spaces or check-off boxes to indicate the political party. Such application shall not entitle the voter to vote in the primary of more than one political party at the same election.

At the consolidated primary, such certificates may contain spaces or checkoff boxes permitting the voter to request a primary ballot of any other political party which is established only within a political subdivision and for which a primary is conducted on the same election day. Such application shall not entitle the voter to vote in both the primary of the State-wide political party and the primary of the local political party with respect to the offices of the same political subdivision. In no event may a voter vote in more than one State-wide primary on the same day.

The judges in charge of the precinct registration files shall compare the signature upon such certificate with the signature on the registration record card as a means of identifying the voter. If judges find that the signature on the certificate and the signature on the registration card do not match, the elector shall provide the judges with a valid State issued drivers license, State issued identification card, or passport. The judges shall find that the signature on the certificate and the signature on the registration card do no match in situations that include, but are not limited to, if one signature is in cursive writing and the other is in printed writing. Unless satisfied by such comparison that the applicant to vote is the identical person who is registered under the same name, the judges shall ask such applicant the questions for identification which appear on the registration card, and if the applicant does not prove to the satisfaction of a majority of the judges of the election precinct that he is the identical person registered under the name in question then the vote of such applicant shall be challenged by a judge of election, and the same procedure followed as provided by law for challenged voters.

In case the elector is unable to sign his name, a judge of election shall check the data on the registration card and shall check the address given, with the registered address, in order to determine whether he is entitled to vote.

One of the judges of election shall check the certificate of each applicant for a ballot after the registration record has been examined, and shall sign his initials on the certificate in the space provided therefor, and shall enter upon such certificate the number of the voter in the place provided therefor, and make an entry in the voting record space on the registration record, to indicate whether or not the applicant voted. Such judge shall then hand such certificate back to the applicant in case he is permitted to vote, and such applicant shall hand it to the judge of election in charge of the ballots. The certificates of the voters shall be filed in the order in which they are received and shall constitute an official poll record. The term "poll lists" and "poll books", where used in this Article, shall be construed to apply to such official poll record.

After each general primary election the county clerk shall indicate by color code or other means next to the name of each registrant on the list of registered voters in each precinct the primary ballot of a political party that the registrant requested at that general primary election. The county clerk, within 60 days after the general primary election, shall provide a copy of this coded list to the chair of the county central committee of each established political party or to the chair's duly authorized representative.

Within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1983, the county clerk shall provide to the chair of the county central committee of each established political party or to the chair's duly authorized representative the list of registered voters in each precinct at the time of the general primary election of 1982 and shall indicate on such list by color code or other means next to the name of a registrant the primary ballot of a political party that the registrant requested at the general primary election of 1982.

The county clerk may charge a fee to reimburse the actual cost of duplicating each copy of a list provided under either of the 2 preceding paragraphs.

Where an elector makes application to vote by signing and presenting the certificate provided by this Section, and his registration record card is not found in the precinct registry of voters, but his name appears as that of a registered voter in such precinct upon the printed precinct register as corrected or revised by the supplemental list, or upon the consolidated list, if any, and whose name has not been erased or withdrawn from such register, the printed precinct register as corrected or revised by the supplemental list, or consolidated list, if any, shall be prima facie evidence of the elector's right to vote upon compliance with the provisions hereinafter set forth in this Section. In such event one of the judges of election shall require an affidavit by such person and one voter residing in the precinct before the judges of election, substantially in the form prescribed in Section 17-10 of this Act, and upon the presentation of such affidavits, a certificate shall be issued to such elector, and upon the presentation of such certificate and affidavits, he shall be entitled to vote.

Provided, however, that applications for ballots made by registered voters under the provisions of Article 19 of this Act shall be accepted by the Judges of Election in lieu of the "Certificate of Registered Voter" provided for in this Section.

When the county clerk delivers to the judges of election for use at the polls a supplemental or consolidated list of the printed precinct register, he shall give a copy of the supplemental or consolidated list to the chair of a county central committee of an established political party or to the chair's duly authorized representative.

Whenever 2 or more elections occur simultaneously, the election authority charged with the duty of providing application certificates may prescribe the form thereof so that a voter is required to execute only one, indicating in which of the elections he desires to vote.

After the signature has been verified, the judges shall determine in which political subdivisions the voter resides by use of the information contained on the voter registration cards or the separate registration lists or other means approved by the State Board of Elections and prepared and supplied by the election authority. The voter's certificate shall be so marked by the judges as to show the respective ballots which the voter is given.

(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)