103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1139

 

Introduced 1/12/2023, by Rep. Blaine Wilhour

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/1A-70 new
10 ILCS 5/19-3  from Ch. 46, par. 19-3

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections must develop and maintain a statewide or locally-based system to track and confirm when there is a change in the status of a trackable ballot. Provides that the term "trackable ballot" means a ballot that is mailed to a voter and deposited in the mail or deposited in a ballot box. Provides that the system shall be operational by January 1, 2024. Effective immediately.


LRB103 05323 AWJ 50341 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1139LRB103 05323 AWJ 50341 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
5Section 19-3 and by adding Section 1A-70 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/1A-70 new)
7    Sec. 1A-70. Ballot tracking system.
8    (a) As used in this Section:
9    "Change in the status" means:
10        (1) when a trackable ballot is mailed to a voter;
11        (2) when an election official receives a voted
12    trackable ballot; and
13        (3) when a voted trackable ballot is counted.
14    "Trackable ballot" means a ballot that is:
15        (1) mailed to a voter in accordance with Article 19;
16    and
17        (2) deposited in the mail by a voter in accordance
18    with Article 19 or deposited in a ballot box by a voter in
19    accordance with Article 15.
20    "Voter registration database" means the statewide database
21established under Section 1A-45, or any successor statewide
22voter registration database established by the State Board of
23Elections, the Secretary of State, or both.

 

 

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1    (b) The State Board of Elections must develop and maintain
2a statewide or locally-based system to track and confirm when
3there is a change in the status of a trackable ballot.
4    (c) The ballot tracking system shall be operational on or
5before January 1, 2024.
6    (d) Beginning January 1, 2024, if a voter elects to
7receive electronic notifications regarding the status of the
8voter's trackable ballot, the ballot tracking system shall,
9when there is a change in the status of the voter's trackable
10ballot:
11        (1) send a text message notification to the voter if
12    the voter's information in the voter registration database
13    includes a mobile telephone number;
14        (2) send an email notification to the voter if the
15    voter's information in the voter registration database
16    includes an email address; and
17        (3) send a notification by another electronic means
18    allowed by the State Board of Elections.
 
19    (10 ILCS 5/19-3)  (from Ch. 46, par. 19-3)
20    Sec. 19-3. Application for a vote by mail ballot.
21    (a) The application for a vote by mail ballot for a single
22election shall be substantially in the following form:
23
APPLICATION FOR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT
24    To be voted at the .... election in the County of .... and
25State of Illinois, in the .... precinct of the (1) *township of

 

 

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1.... (2) *City of .... or (3) *.... ward in the City of ....
2    I state that I am a resident of the .... precinct of the
3(1) *township of .... (2) *City of .... or (3) *.... ward in
4the city of .... residing at .... in such city or town in the
5county of .... and State of Illinois; that I have lived at such
6address for .... month(s) last past; that I am lawfully
7entitled to vote in such precinct at the .... election to be
8held therein on ....; and that I wish to vote by vote by mail
9ballot.
10    I hereby make application for an official ballot or
11ballots to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I
12shall return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing
13the same prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the
14election or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than
15election day, for counting no later than during the period for
16counting provisional ballots, the last day of which is the
1714th day following election day.
18    I understand that this application is made for an official
19vote by mail ballot or ballots to be voted by me at the
20election specified in this application and that I must submit
21a separate application for an official vote by mail ballot or
22ballots to be voted by me at any subsequent election.
23    Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Section
2429-10 of the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
25statements set forth in this application are true and correct.
26
....

 

 

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1
*fill in either (1), (2) or (3).
2
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
3...............
4    (a-5) The application for a single vote by mail ballot
5transmitted electronically pursuant to Section 19-2.6 shall be
6substantively similar to the application for a vote by mail
7ballot for a single election and shall include:
8        I swear or affirm that I am a voter with a print
9    disability, and, as a result of this disability, I am
10    making a request to receive a vote by mail ballot
11    electronically so that I may privately and independently
12    mark, verify, and print my vote by mail ballot.
13    (b) The application for permanent vote by mail status
14shall be substantially in the following form:
15
APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT VOTE BY MAIL STATUS
16    I am currently a registered voter and wish to apply for
17permanent vote by mail status.
18    I state that I am a resident of the City of .... residing
19at .... in such city in the county of .... and State of
20Illinois; that I have lived at such address for .... month(s)
21last past; that I am lawfully entitled to vote in such precinct
22at the .... election to be held therein on ....; and that I
23wish to vote by vote by mail ballot in:
24    ..... all subsequent elections that do not require a party
25        designation.
26    ..... all subsequent elections, and I wish to receive a

 

 

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1        ................... Party vote by mail ballot in
2        elections that require a party designation.
3    I hereby make application for an official ballot or
4ballots to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I
5shall return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing
6the same prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the
7election or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than
8election day, for counting no later than during the period for
9counting provisional ballots, the last day of which is the
1014th day following election day.
11    Under penalties as provided by law under Section 29-10 of
12the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
13statements set forth in this application are true and correct.
14
....
15
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
16...............
17    (b-5) The application for permanent vote by mail ballots
18transmitted electronically pursuant to Section 19-2.6 shall be
19substantively similar to the application for permanent vote by
20mail status and shall include:
21        I swear or affirm that I am a voter with a
22    non-temporary print disability, and as a result of this
23    disability, I am making a request to receive vote by mail
24    ballots electronically so that I may privately and
25    independently mark, verify, and print my vote by mail
26    ballots.

 

 

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1    (c) However, if application is made for a primary election
2ballot, such application shall require the applicant to
3designate the name of the political party with which the
4applicant is affiliated. The election authority shall allow
5any voter on permanent vote by mail status to change his or her
6party affiliation for a primary election ballot by a method
7and deadline published and selected by the election authority.
8    (d) If application is made electronically, the applicant
9shall mark the box associated with the above described
10statement included as part of the online application
11certifying that the statements set forth in the application
12under subsection (a) or (b) are true and correct, and a
13signature is not required.
14    (e) Any person may produce, reproduce, distribute, or
15return to an election authority an application under this
16Section. If applications are sent to a post office box
17controlled by any individual or organization that is not an
18election authority, those applications shall (i) include a
19valid and current phone number for the individual or
20organization controlling the post office box and (ii) be
21turned over to the appropriate election authority within 7
22days of receipt or, if received within 2 weeks of the election
23in which an applicant intends to vote, within 2 days of
24receipt. Failure to turn over the applications in compliance
25with this paragraph shall constitute a violation of this Code
26and shall be punishable as a petty offense with a fine of $100

 

 

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1per application. Removing, tampering with, or otherwise
2knowingly making the postmark on the application unreadable by
3the election authority shall establish a rebuttable
4presumption of a violation of this paragraph. Upon receipt,
5the appropriate election authority shall accept and promptly
6process any application under this Section submitted in a form
7substantially similar to that required by this Section,
8including any substantially similar production or reproduction
9generated by the applicant.
10    (f) An election authority may combine the applications in
11subsections (a) and (b) onto one form, but the distinction
12between the applications must be clear and the form must
13provide check boxes for an applicant to indicate whether he or
14she is applying for a single election vote by mail ballot or
15for permanent vote by mail status.
16    (g) Beginning January 1, 2024, the applications under
17subsections (a) and (b), or an application under subsection
18(f), shall also include the following provision:
19    "If you have provided a mobile phone number or email
20address, you can receive notifications by text message or
21email regarding the status of a ballot that is mailed to you
22and that you deposit in the mail or in a ballot drop box by
23indicating the mobile phone number or email address here:
24(insert mobile phone number/email address). By providing your
25mobile phone number or email address, you are giving consent
26to receive text messages or emails concerning your ballot

 

 

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1status."
2    If the applicant provides a mobile phone number or email
3address on his or her application, the election authority must
4transmit that information to the State Board of Elections for
5inclusion in the statewide voter registration database.
6(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-819, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect
8immediately.