99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0055

 

Introduced , by Rep. Jack D. Franks

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
ILCON Art. III, Sec. 7

    Proposes to amend the Suffrage and Elections Article of the Illinois Constitution. Replaces procedures concerning the recall of the Governor with procedures concerning the recall of an executive branch officer as identified in Section 1 of Article V of the Illinois Constitution, a member of the General Assembly, or an individual holding a local elected office, including, but not limited to, mayors, village presidents, council members, school board members, community college officials, and county officials. Sets forth requirements for recall petitions and elections. Provides for a successor election to fill the vacant term of a recalled officer, member, or individual. Sets forth duties of the State Board of Elections. Provides that the new provisions are self-executing and judicially enforceable. Contains a schedule for adoption and other provisions.


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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
6electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general
7election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption of
8this resolution a proposition to amend Section 7 of Article III
9of the Illinois Constitution as follows:
 
10
ARTICLE III
11
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

12    (ILCON Art. III, Sec. 7)
13SECTION 7. INITIATIVE TO RECALL GOVERNOR
14    (a) Electors may petition for the recall of an executive
15branch officer as identified in Section 1 of Article V, a
16member of the General Assembly, or an individual holding a
17local elected office, including, but not limited to, mayors,
18village presidents, council members, school board members,
19community college officials, and county officials. If the
20recall petition is valid, on a separate ballot the question
21"Shall (officer) be recalled from the office of (office)" must
22be submitted to the electors, along with the names of any
23candidates certified for the successor election, at a special

 

 

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1election called by the State Board of Elections or at a
2regularly scheduled election to occur not more than 100 days
3after the date of certification of the recall petition. The
4officer or member subject to recall may be a candidate in the
5successor election. Because the Governor and Lieutenant
6Governor are elected jointly under Section 4 of Article V, a
7petition to recall either must include both.
8    (b) An executive branch officer as identified in Section 1
9of Article V, a member of the General Assembly, or an
10individual holding a local elected office, including, but not
11limited to, mayors, village presidents, council members,
12school board members, community college officials, and county
13officials, is immediately removed upon certification of the
14recall election results if a majority of the electors voting on
15the question vote to recall the officer, member, or individual.
16In an election to recall the Governor and Lieutenant Governor,
17one vote shall be cast jointly for or against recall of both.
18If an officer, member, or individual is recalled, the candidate
19who receives the highest number of votes in the successor
20election is elected successor for the balance of the term. Once
21a recall election petition is certified, the petition may not
22be withdrawn and another recall petition may not be initiated
23against that officer or member during the remainder of his or
24her current term of office.
25    (c) Any elector of the State, the applicable Legislative or
26Representative District, or the applicable election unit may

 

 

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1file an affidavit with the State Board of Elections providing
2notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall an officer,
3member, or individual no sooner than 6 months after the
4beginning of the current term of office of the officer, member,
5or individual. The affidavit must identify the name of the
6officer, member, or individual and the office to be recalled,
7the name and address of the proponents of the recall petition,
8and the date of filing with the State Board of Elections. A
9recall petition shall not be circulated prior to filing the
10affidavit, and a recall petition must be filed with the State
11Board of Elections no later than 160 days after filing the
12affidavit.
13    (d) A petition to recall an executive branch officer must
14include signatures of electors of the State equal to at least
1512% of the total votes cast for the office in the election at
16which the officer was elected, with signatures equal to at
17least 1% of the vote for the office from at least 5 separate
18counties. A petition to recall a member of the General Assembly
19must be signed by electors of the respective Legislative
20District or Representative District equal to at least 20% of
21the total votes cast for the office in the election at which
22the member was elected. A petition to recall an individual
23holding a local elected office, including, but not limited to,
24mayors, village presidents, council members, school board
25members, community college officials, and county officials,
26must be signed by electors of the applicable election unit

 

 

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1equal to at least 20% of the total votes cast for the office in
2the election at which the member was elected. The form,
3circulation, and manner of filing a recall petition shall
4comply with the requirements provided by law for a statewide
5advisory public question, except for the deadlines set forth in
6this Section.
7    (e) A recall petition is valid unless an objection is made
8within 45 days after the date the petition is filed, and an
9objection to the recall petition may be made in the same manner
10as to a candidate for the office subject to recall. The State
11Board of Elections shall certify the recall petition not more
12than 105 days after the date the recall petition is filed. Any
13recall petition or election pending on the date of the next
14general election at which a candidate for the office subject to
15recall is elected is moot.
16    (f) If a recall election is initiated, the name of no
17successor candidate may appear on the ballot unless a
18nominating petition has been filed with the State Board of
19Elections no more than 40 days after filing of the recall
20petition. The nominating petition of an established party
21candidate must contain the same number of signatures and be
22circulated in the same manner as an established party candidate
23for nomination to the office subject to recall, except the
24petition must be circulated no more than 40 days prior to the
25last day for filing nomination petitions. The nominating
26petition of an independent or new party candidate must contain

 

 

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1the same number of signatures and be circulated in the same
2manner as an independent or new party candidate, respectively,
3for election to the office subject to recall, except the
4petition must be circulated no more than 40 days prior to the
5last day for filing nomination petitions. A nominating petition
6may be objected to in the same manner as a candidate for the
7office subject to recall, unless otherwise provided by law. The
8State Board of Elections shall certify a valid nominating
9petition not more than 105 days after the date the recall
10petition is filed.
11    (g) An election to determine whether to recall an executive
12branch officer as identified in Section 1 of Article V, a
13member of the General Assembly, or an individual holding a
14local elected office, including, but not limited to, mayors,
15village presidents, council members, school board members,
16community college officials, and county officials, and to elect
17a successor shall be proclaimed by the State Board of Elections
18and held not less than 60 days and no more than 100 days after
19the date of certification of the recall petition.
20    (h) The provisions of this Section are self-executing and
21judicially enforceable.
22    (a) The recall of the Governor may be proposed by a
23petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at
24least 15% of the total votes cast for Governor in the preceding
25gubernatorial election, with at least 100 signatures from each
26of at least 25 separate counties. A petition shall have been

 

 

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1signed by the petitioning electors not more than 150 days after
2an affidavit has been filed with the State Board of Elections
3providing notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall
4the Governor. The affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6
5months after the beginning of the Governor's term of office.
6The affidavit shall have been signed by the proponent of the
7recall petition, at least 20 members of the House of
8Representatives, and at least 10 members of the Senate, with no
9more than half of the signatures of members of each chamber
10from the same established political party.
11    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
12for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
13shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
14sufficient, the State Board of Elections shall certify the
15petition not more than 100 days after the date the petition was
16filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the
17office of Governor?" must be submitted to the electors at a
18special election called by the State Board of Elections, to
19occur not more than 100 days after certification of the
20petition. A recall petition certified by the State Board of
21Elections may not be withdrawn and another recall petition may
22not be initiated against the Governor during the remainder of
23the current term of office. Any recall petition or recall
24election pending on the date of the next general election at
25which a candidate for Governor is elected is moot.
26    (c) If a petition to recall the Governor has been filed

 

 

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1with the State Board of Elections, a person eligible to serve
2as Governor may propose his or her candidacy by a petition
3signed by a number of electors equal in number to the
4requirement for petitions for an established party candidate
5for the office of Governor, signed by petitioning electors not
6more than 50 days after a recall petition has been filed with
7the State Board of Elections. The form of a successor election
8petition, circulation, and procedure for determining the
9validity and sufficiency of a petition shall be as provided by
10law. If the successor election petition is valid and
11sufficient, the State Board of Elections shall certify the
12petition not more than 100 days after the date the petition to
13recall the Governor was filed. Names of candidates for
14nomination to serve as the candidate of an established
15political party must be submitted to the electors at a special
16primary election, if necessary, called by the State Board of
17Elections to be held at the same time as the special election
18on the question of recall established under subsection (b).
19Names of candidates for the successor election must be
20submitted to the electors at a special successor election
21called by the State Board of Elections, to occur not more than
2260 days after the date of the special primary election or on a
23date established by law.
24    (d) The Governor is immediately removed upon certification
25of the recall election results if a majority of the electors
26voting on the question vote to recall the Governor. If the

 

 

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1Governor is removed, then (i) an Acting Governor determined
2under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article V shall serve
3until the Governor elected at the special successor election is
4qualified and (ii) the candidate who receives the highest
5number of votes in the special successor election is elected
6Governor for the balance of the term.
7(Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 2,
82010.)
 
9
SCHEDULE
10    The State Board of Elections shall proceed, as soon as all
11the returns are received but no later than 31 days after the
12election, to canvass the votes given for and against this
13Constitutional Amendment, as shown by the abstracts of votes
14cast. If this Constitutional Amendment is approved by either
15three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of
16those voting in the election, then the State Board of Elections
17shall declare the adoption of this Constitutional Amendment and
18it shall, upon declaration of its adoption, take effect and
19become a part of the Constitution of this State. This Schedule
20supersedes and applies notwithstanding any statute to the
21contrary, and no other requirements, including, without
22limitation, proclamation of the results of the vote or notice
23by publication, are necessary for its effectiveness.