102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB1692

 

Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Scott M. Bennett

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
70 ILCS 605/4-5  from Ch. 42, par. 4-5

    Amends the Illinois Drainage Code. In provisions concerning election of commissioners in drainage districts organized under the Farm Drainage Act and certain other districts, provides that an adult owner of property in a drainage district is entitled to one vote per acre or part of an acre within each parcel of land owned by the owner and located in the district. Provides that, if a parcel of land is owned by more than one adult owner, only one of the owners representing all of the owners may cast a ballot for that parcel. Provides that the votes represented by the ballot shall equal the number of acres or part of an acre shown on the face of the ballot. Provides that, by casting a ballot, the voter certifies that he or she is the owner of the land or, when the land is owned by multiple owners, the voter casting the ballot certifies that a majority of the owners have granted him or her the authority to cast the ballot on behalf of the all the owners. Changes the time that the polls may be open. Provides that the commissioners acting as the judges of the election shall not be responsible for determining the ownership of any parcel of land and may rely upon the representations of the person presenting himself or herself as the owner of the parcel or the person authorized by a majority of the other owners of the parcel to cast the ballot on behalf of all the owners. Makes conforming and other changes.


LRB102 15976 AWJ 21346 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1692LRB102 15976 AWJ 21346 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Drainage Code is amended by
5changing Section 4-5 as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 605/4-5)  (from Ch. 42, par. 4-5)
7    Sec. 4-5. Election of Commissioners in Districts organized
8under Farm Drainage Act and certain other Districts.
9Commissioners for all districts which, at the time this Act
10becomes effective, are operating and existing under the
11provisions of the Farm Drainage Act, shall be elected by the
12adult owners of land in the district in the manner provided by
13this Section unless the landowners have elected to change from
14the election to the appointment of commissioners in the manner
15provided in Section 4-6.
16    An election shall be held in all combined, union, special,
17user, mutual or other districts which were operating and
18existing under the Farm Drainage Act at the time this Act
19became effective and in districts which have changed from the
20appointment to the election of commissioners as provided in
21Section 4-8, on the first Tuesday in September 1956 and
22annually thereafter for the purpose of electing a successor to
23the commissioner whose term will next expire. Commissioners so

 

 

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1elected shall serve for a term of 3 years from the date of
2their election and until their successors have been elected
3and have qualified.
4    In any case where the commissioners have failed to give
5notice and to hold an election as provided in this Section, the
6circuit court of the county in which the district is organized
7may, on the petition of any owner of land in the district,
8designate the time and place for a special election. Any
9commissioner elected at such special election shall serve for
10the remainder of the term expiring 3 years from the date on
11which the election should have been held and until his or her
12successor is elected and has qualified.
13    The commissioners in office shall designate the place
14within the district at which the election will be held and they
15shall file such designation in writing with the clerk of the
16circuit court at least four weeks prior to the date of the
17election. The clerk shall give at least two weeks notice of the
18time and place of the election by publication for 2 successive
19weeks in the manner provided by Section 4-22. Notice by
20mailing shall not be required.
21    Voting shall be by secret ballot. The clerk of the circuit
22court shall cause the ballots to be prepared in the manner set
23forth in this paragraph. To enable the number of votes cast to
24be calculated in conformance with the requirements in the
25following paragraph, there shall be a ballot for each parcel
26of land listed on the district's then-current assessment roll.

 

 

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1The face of each ballot shall identify the parcel, the number
2of acres or part of an acre within said parcel, and the name or
3names of the owner or owners of the parcel. Each ballot The
4ballots shall also show on its their face the name of the
5district, the date of the election, the term for which a
6commissioner is to be elected, the names of the declared
7candidates and a blank line for write-in candidates. A square
8shall appear before each name and before the blank line. The
9reverse side of the ballot shall show the official nature of
10the ballot by the certificate of the clerk.
11    Adult owners Every adult owner of land in the district
12shall be entitled to vote in the manner provided for in this
13paragraph. An adult owner is entitled to one vote per acre or
14part of an acre within each parcel of land owned by the owner
15and located in the district. If a parcel of land is owned by
16more than one adult owner, only one of the owners representing
17all of the owners may cast a ballot for that parcel. The votes
18represented by the ballot shall equal the number of acres or
19part of an acre shown on the face of the ballot. By casting a
20ballot, the voter certifies that he or she is the owner of the
21land or, when the land is owned by multiple owners, the voter
22casting the ballot certifies that a majority of the owners
23have granted him or her the authority to cast the ballot on
24behalf of the all the owners. Any qualified person owning land
25with the district may declare his or her candidacy for the
26office of commissioner and thereby become entitled to have his

 

 

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1or her name placed on the ballot by filing a statement of his
2or her candidacy in writing with the clerk at least 3 weeks
3prior to the date of the election.
4    The commissioners in office at the time of the election
5shall be the judges of the election. In the event that one or
6more of the commissioners is absent or refuses to serve as
7judge then the electors present at the opening of the polls may
8choose a person or persons to fill the vacancy or vacancies.
9The polls shall open at 4:00 p.m. 2:00 P.M. and close at 6:00
10p.m. 4:00 P.M. unless the judges of election shall determine
11to hold the polls open a longer period to accommodate the
12voters. In no event shall the polls remain open later than 7:00
13p.m. 6:00 P.M.
14    The judges of the election shall not be responsible for
15determining the ownership of any parcel of land and may rely
16upon the representations of the person presenting himself or
17herself as the owner of the parcel or the person authorized by
18a majority of the other owners of the parcel to cast the ballot
19on behalf of all the owners. If a parcel of land is owned by a
20public or private corporation, or other entity or entities,
21the person presenting himself or herself on behalf of the
22owner or owners certifies that he or she has the authority to
23cast the ballot on behalf of the owner or owners. The judges of
24election may take reasonable measures to verify that no more
25than one person casts a ballot for each parcel of land. Whoever
26willfully misrepresents his or her eligibility to cast a

 

 

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1ballot in an election shall be deemed guilty of a Class A
2Misdemeanor.
3    Upon the closing of the polls the judges of election shall
4promptly canvass the ballots and the ballots together with the
5poll books, tally lists and the results shall be returned to
6the clerk of the circuit court within 48 hours after the
7election. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes
8shall be declared elected upon the certification of the votes
9by the election judges. In case of a tie the judges shall
10determine by lot who is elected. The expense of the election
11shall be borne by the district.
12    In the event that a vacancy occurs in the office of
13commissioner whether by death, ineligibility, removal from
14office or failure to qualify the commissioners in office shall
15fill the vacancy by appointment. The commissioner so appointed
16shall serve until the next annual election. If the unexpired
17term caused by such vacancy be for more than one year then, at
18the next annual election, the adult landowners shall elect a
19commissioner to complete the then unexpired portion of the
20term in addition to electing a commissioner for a regular
21term.
22    Commissioners elected under this Section shall, within 20
23days after their election, qualify by subscribing to an oath
24of office and giving bond, in the manner provided in Section
254-4.
26(Source: P.A. 86-297.)