SB1566 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB1566

Introduced 2/20/2015, by Sen. Michael Connelly

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/11-4.1

from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.1

Amends the Election Code. Provides that at least 180 days before an election, the county board or board of election commissioners shall give notice to any public body of the designation of a public building under the public body's control as a polling place. Provides that, if using a public building as a polling place will result in a loss of revenue to the public body, the public building shall be deemed unavailable for use as a polling place by the county board or board of election commissioners.

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 Section 11-4.1 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/11-4.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.1)

Sec. 11-4.1. (a) In appointing polling places under this Article, the county board or board of election commissioners shall, insofar as they are convenient and available, use schools and other public buildings as polling places.

(a-5) At least 180 days before an election, the county board or board of election commissioners shall give notice to any public body of the designation of a public building under the public body's control as a polling place. If using a public building as a polling place will result in a loss of revenue to the public body, the public building shall be deemed unavailable for use as a polling place by the county board or board of election commissioners.

(b) Upon request of the county board or board of election commissioners, the proper agency of government (including school districts and units of local government) shall make a public building under its control available for use as a polling place on an election day and for a reasonably necessary time before and after election day, without charge. If the county board or board of election commissioners chooses a school to be a polling place, then the school district must make the school available for use as a polling place. However, for the day of the election, a school district is encouraged to (i) close the school or (ii) hold a teachers institute on that day with students not in attendance.

(c) A government agency which makes a public building under its control available for use as a polling place shall (i) ensure the portion of the building to be used as the polling place is accessible to handicapped and elderly voters and (ii) allow the election authority to administer the election as authorized under this Code.

(d) If a qualified elector's precinct polling place is a school and the elector will be unable to enter that polling place without violating Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 because the elector is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that elector may vote by absentee ballot in accordance with Article 19 of this Code or may vote early in accordance with Article 19A of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13; 98-773, eff. 7-18-14.)