HB5177 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 18973 PJG 64212 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5177

Introduced 2/8/2012, by Rep. Deborah Mell, Kelly M. Cassidy and Robyn Gabel

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/4-50
10 ILCS 5/5-50
10 ILCS 5/6-100
10 ILCS 5/19A-15

Amends the Election Code. Extends the grace period for the registration of voters to until the 3rd day (now, the 7th day) before the primary or election. Provides that the period for early voting by personal appearance begins the 18th day (now, the 22nd day) before the election and extends through the 3rd day (now, the 5th day) before the election. Effective immediately.

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 Sections 4-50, 5-50, 6-100, and 19A-15 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/4-50)

Sec. 4-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and for change of address during the period from the close of registration for a primary or election and until the 3rd 7th day before the primary or election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person in the office of the election authority or at a voter registration location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority. The election authority shall register that individual, or change a registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this Article for registration and change of address.

If a voter who registers or changes address during this grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace period voting, either in person in the office of the election authority or at a location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article 19.

Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot, the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and that information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees. The name of each person issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.

A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons who register or change address during the grace period must be transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which the ballots were opened.

(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)

(10 ILCS 5/5-50)

Sec. 5-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and for change of address during the period from the close of registration for a primary or election and until the 3rd 7th day before the primary or election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person in the office of the election authority or at a voter registration location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority. The election authority shall register that individual, or change a registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this Article for registration and change of address.

If a voter who registers or changes address during this grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace period voting, either in person in the office of the election authority or at a location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article 19.

Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot, the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and that information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees. The name of each person issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.

A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons who register or change address during the grace period must be transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which the ballots were opened.

(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)

(10 ILCS 5/6-100)

Sec. 6-100. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and for change of address during the period from the close of registration for a primary or election and until the 3rd 7th day before the primary or election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person in the office of the election authority or at a voter registration location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority. The election authority shall register that individual, or change a registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this Article for registration and change of address.

If a voter who registers or changes address during this grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace period voting, either in person in the office of the election authority or at a location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article 19.

Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot, the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and that information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees. The name of each person issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.

A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons who register or change address during the grace period must be transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which the ballots were opened.

(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-15)

Sec. 19A-15. Period for early voting; hours.

(a) The period for early voting by personal appearance begins the 18th 22nd day preceding a general primary, consolidated primary, consolidated, or general election and extends through the 3rd 5th 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.

(Source: P.A. 96-637, eff. 1-1-10; 97-81, eff. 7-5-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.