HR1219 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1219 LRB096 22135 JAM 40785 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 1979, the General Assembly adopted legislation setting forth a procedure commonly known as "nursing home voting"; and

WHEREAS, Nursing home voting involves the use of official judges of election going onto the premises of residential facilities licensed or certified pursuant to the Nursing Home Care Act; and

WHEREAS, Nursing home residents who are registered voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots under the supervision of election judges; and

WHEREAS, This procedure was embraced in an effort to increase the ability of nursing home residents who chose to vote in elections to have their votes cast lawfully; and

WHEREAS, The law requires nursing home on-premises voting, regardless of the size of the home or the number of residents of the homes seeking to participate in the upcoming election; and

WHEREAS, There are, in addition to residential facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, numerous residential facilities licensed under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act and the Supportive Living Facilities Program provisions of the Illinois Public Aid Code; and

WHEREAS, Registered voters also live in those facilities; and

WHEREAS, Voters residing in these various licensed facilities may have issues both regarding ease of access in voting and the casting of ballots lawfully; and

WHEREAS, The cost/benefit impact of nursing home voting and the administrative responsibilities resulting from any proposal to expand or reduce that procedure to licensed nursing homes or to additional venues would benefit election authorities and legislators seeking to strike the appropriate balance in offering on-site voting procedures to Illinois voters; and

WHEREAS, The State Board of Elections currently coordinates meetings of The State Board of Elections Clerk Advisory Committee, which meets periodically for the purpose of sharing discussion on a wide variety of election administration issues; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the State Board of Elections Clerk Advisory Committee to place on an upcoming agenda of that Committee a public discussion of the status of nursing home voting and the utility of any reductions or expansions in the use of on-site voting procedures for Illinois voters, permitting interested parties to offer input on any legislative or administrative changes that would benefit Illinois elections; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the State Board of Elections.