HB2472 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 09877 MLM 20048 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB2472

Introduced , by Rep. Barbara Wheeler

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/10-9	from Ch. 46, par. 10-9
10 ILCS 5/10-10	from Ch. 46, par. 10-10
65 ILCS 5/7-7-11	from Ch. 24, par. 7-7-11

Amends the Election Code. Abolishes municipal officers electoral boards, township officers electoral boards, and education officers electoral boards and transfers their duties to the county officers electoral board of counties with a population of less than 3,000,000. Provides that if a municipality, township, or community college district is located in 2 or more counties, including a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county officers electoral board of the county in which the principal office of the municipality, township, or community college district is located shall hear and pass upon objections to nominations of candidates. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code to make a conforming change.

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 10-9 and 10-10 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/10-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-9)

Sec. 10-9. The following electoral boards are designated for the purpose of hearing and passing upon the objector's petition described in Section 10-8.

1. The State Board of Elections will hear and pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for State offices, nominations of candidates for congressional or legislative offices that are in more than one county or are wholly located within a single county with a population of less than 3,000,000 and judicial offices of districts, subcircuits, or circuits situated in more than one county, nominations of candidates for the offices of State's attorney or regional superintendent of schools to be elected from more than one county, and petitions for proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Illinois as provided for in Section 3 of Article XIV of the Constitution.

2. The county officers electoral board of a county with a population of less than 3,000,000 to hear and pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for county offices and judicial offices of a district, subcircuit, or circuit coterminous with or less than a county, for any school district offices, for the office of multi-township assessor where candidates for such office are nominated in accordance with this Code, for officers of municipalities, for township officers, for offices in community college districts, and for all special district offices, shall be composed of the county clerk, or an assistant designated by the county clerk, the State's attorney of the county or an Assistant State's Attorney designated by the State's Attorney, and the clerk of the circuit court, or an assistant designated by the clerk of the circuit court, of the county, of whom the county clerk or his designee shall be the chairman, except that in any county which has established a county board of election commissioners that board shall constitute the county officers electoral board ex-officio. If a school district, municipality, township, or community college district is located in 2 or more counties, the county officers electoral board of the county in which the principal office of the school district, municipality, township, or community college district is located shall hear and pass upon objections to nominations of candidates for school district office in that school district, municipality, township, or community college district.

2.5. The county officers electoral board of a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more to hear and pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for county offices, candidates for congressional and legislative offices if the district is wholly within a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, unless the district is wholly or partially within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, and judicial offices of a district, subcircuit, or circuit coterminous with or less than a county, for any school district offices, for the office of multi-township assessor where candidates for such office are nominated in accordance with this Code, and for all special district offices, shall be composed of the county clerk, or an assistant designated by the county clerk, the State's Attorney of the county or an Assistant State's Attorney designated by the State's Attorney, and the clerk of the circuit court, or an assistant designated by the clerk of the circuit court, of the county, of whom the county clerk or his designee shall be the chairman, except that, in any county which has established a county board of election commissioners, that board shall constitute the county officers electoral board ex-officio. If a school district, municipality, township, or community college district is located in 2 or more counties, the county officers electoral board of the county in which the principal office of the school district, municipality, township, or community college district is located shall hear and pass upon objections to nominations of candidates for school district office in that school district, municipality, township, or community college district.

3. (Blank). The municipal officers electoral board to hear and pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for officers of municipalities shall be composed of the mayor or president of the board of trustees of the city, village or incorporated town, and the city, village or incorporated town clerk, and one member of the city council or board of trustees, that member being designated who is eligible to serve on the electoral board and has served the greatest number of years as a member of the city council or board of trustees, of whom the mayor or president of the board of trustees shall be the chairman.

4. (Blank). The township officers electoral board to pass upon objections to the nominations of township officers shall be composed of the township supervisor, the town clerk, and that eligible town trustee elected in the township who has had the longest term of continuous service as town trustee, of whom the township supervisor shall be the chairman.

5. (Blank). The education officers electoral board to hear and pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for offices in community college districts shall be composed of the presiding officer of the community college district board, who shall be the chairman, the secretary of the community college district board and the eligible elected community college board member who has the longest term of continuous service as a board member.

6. In all cases, however, where the Congressional, Legislative, or Representative district is wholly or partially within the jurisdiction of a single municipal board of election commissioners in Cook County and in all cases where the school district or special district is wholly within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners and in all cases where the municipality or township is wholly or partially within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, the board of election commissioners shall ex-officio constitute the electoral board.

For special districts situated in more than one county, the county officers electoral board of the county in which the principal office of the district is located has jurisdiction to hear and pass upon objections. For purposes of this Section, "special districts" means all political subdivisions other than counties, municipalities, townships and school and community college districts.

In the event that any member of the county electoral board is a candidate for the office with relation to which the objector's petition is filed, he or she shall not be eligible to serve on that board and shall not act as a member of the board and he or she shall be replaced by the county treasurer, and if he or she is ineligible to serve, by the sheriff of the county. In the event that any member of the appropriate board is a candidate for the office with relation to which the objector's petition is filed, he shall not be eligible to serve on that board and shall not act as a member of the board and his place shall be filled as follows:

a. In the county officers electoral board by the county treasurer, and if he or she is ineligible to serve, by the sheriff of the county.

b. In the municipal officers electoral board by the eligible elected city council or board of trustees member who has served the second greatest number of years as a city council or board of trustees member.

c. In the township officers electoral board by the eligible elected town trustee who has had the second longest term of continuous service as a town trustee.

d. In the education officers electoral board by the eligible elected community college district board member who has had the second longest term of continuous service as a board member.

In the event that the chairman of the electoral board is ineligible to act because of the fact that he or she is a candidate for the office with relation to which the objector's petition is filed, then the substitute chosen under the provisions of this Section shall be the chairman; In this case, the officer or board with whom the objector's petition is filed, shall transmit the certificate of nomination or nomination papers as the case may be, and the objector's petition to the substitute chairman of the electoral board.

When 2 or more eligible individuals, by reason of their terms of service on a city council or board of trustees, township board of trustees, or community college district board, qualify to serve on an electoral board, the one to serve shall be chosen by lot.

Any vacancies on an electoral board not otherwise filled pursuant to this Section shall be filled by public members appointed by the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for the county wherein the electoral board hearing is being held upon notification to the Chief Judge of such vacancies. The Chief Judge shall be so notified by a member of the electoral board or the officer or board with whom the objector's petition was filed. In the event that none of the individuals designated by this Section to serve on the electoral board are eligible, the chairman of an electoral board shall be designated by the Chief Judge.

(Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)

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

Sec. 10-10. Within 24 hours after the receipt of the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or proposed question of public policy, as the case may be, and the objector's petition, the chairman of the electoral board other than the State Board of Elections shall send a call by registered or certified mail to each of the members of the electoral board, and to the objector who filed the objector's petition, and either to the candidate whose certificate of nomination or nomination papers are objected to or to the principal proponent or attorney for proponents of a question of public policy, as the case may be, whose petitions are objected to, and shall also cause the sheriff of the county or counties in which such officers and persons reside to serve a copy of such call upon each of such officers and persons, which call shall set out the fact that the electoral board is required to meet to hear and pass upon the objections to nominations made for the office, designating it, and shall state the day, hour and place at which the electoral board shall meet for the purpose, which place shall be in the county court house in the county in the case of the County Officers Electoral Board, the Municipal Officers Electoral Board, the Township Officers Electoral Board or the Education Officers Electoral Board, except that the Municipal Officers Electoral Board, the Township Officers Electoral Board, and the Education Officers Electoral Board may meet at the location where the governing body of the municipality, township, or community college district, respectively, holds its regularly scheduled meetings, if that location is available; provided that voter records may be removed from the offices of an election authority only at the discretion and under the supervision of the election authority. In those cases where the State Board of Elections is the electoral board designated under Section 10-9, the chairman of the State Board of Elections shall, within 24 hours after the receipt of the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions for a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution or proposed statewide question of public policy, send a call by registered or certified mail to the objector who files the objector's petition, and either to the candidate whose certificate of nomination or nomination papers are objected to or to the principal proponent or attorney for proponents of the proposed Constitutional amendment or statewide question of public policy and shall state the day, hour, and place at which the electoral board shall meet for the purpose, which place may be in the Capitol Building or in the principal or permanent branch office of the State Board. The day of the meeting shall not be less than 3 nor more than 5 days after the receipt of the certificate of nomination or nomination papers and the objector's petition by the chairman of the electoral board.

The electoral board shall have the power to administer oaths and to subpoena and examine witnesses and, at the request of either party and only upon a vote by a majority of its members, may authorize the chairman to issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and subpoenas duces tecum requiring the production of such books, papers, records and documents as may be evidence of any matter under inquiry before the electoral board, in the same manner as witnesses are subpoenaed in the Circuit Court.

Service of such subpoenas shall be made by any sheriff or other person in the same manner as in cases in such court and the fees of such sheriff shall be the same as is provided by law, and shall be paid by the objector or candidate who causes the issuance of the subpoena. In case any person so served shall knowingly neglect or refuse to obey any such subpoena, or to testify, the electoral board shall at once file a petition in the circuit court of the county in which such hearing is to be heard, or has been attempted to be heard, setting forth the facts, of such knowing refusal or neglect, and accompanying the petition with a copy of the citation and the answer, if one has been filed, together with a copy of the subpoena and the return of service thereon, and shall apply for an order of court requiring such person to attend and testify, and forthwith produce books and papers, before the electoral board. Any circuit court of the state, excluding the judge who is sitting on the electoral board, upon such showing shall order such person to appear and testify, and to forthwith produce such books and papers, before the electoral board at a place to be fixed by the court. If such person shall knowingly fail or refuse to obey such order of the court without lawful excuse, the court shall punish him or her by fine and imprisonment, as the nature of the case may require and may be lawful in cases of contempt of court.

The electoral board on the first day of its meeting shall adopt rules of procedure for the introduction of evidence and the presentation of arguments and may, in its discretion, provide for the filing of briefs by the parties to the objection or by other interested persons.

In the event of a State Electoral Board hearing on objections to a petition for an amendment to Article IV of the Constitution pursuant to Section 3 of Article XIV of the Constitution, or to a petition for a question of public policy to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, the certificates of the county clerks and boards of election commissioners showing the results of the random sample of signatures on the petition shall be prima facie valid and accurate, and shall be presumed to establish the number of valid and invalid signatures on the petition sheets reviewed in the random sample, as prescribed in Section 28-11 and 28-12 of this Code. Either party, however, may introduce evidence at such hearing to dispute the findings as to particular signatures. In addition to the foregoing, in the absence of competent evidence presented at such hearing by a party substantially challenging the results of a random sample, or showing a different result obtained by an additional sample, this certificate of a county clerk or board of election commissioners shall be presumed to establish the ratio of valid to invalid signatures within the particular election jurisdiction.

The electoral board shall take up the question as to whether or not the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions are in proper form, and whether or not they were filed within the time and under the conditions required by law, and whether or not they are the genuine certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions which they purport to be, and whether or not in the case of the certificate of nomination in question it represents accurately the decision of the caucus or convention issuing it, and in general shall decide whether or not the certificate of nomination or nominating papers or petitions on file are valid or whether the objections thereto should be sustained and the decision of a majority of the electoral board shall be final subject to judicial review as provided in Section 10-10.1. The electoral board must state its findings in writing and must state in writing which objections, if any, it has sustained. A copy of the decision shall be served upon the parties to the proceedings in open proceedings before the electoral board. If a party does not appear for receipt of the decision, the decision shall be deemed to have been served on the absent party on the date when a copy of the decision is personally delivered or on the date when a copy of the decision is deposited in the United States mail, in a sealed envelope or package, with postage prepaid, addressed to each party affected by the decision or to such party's attorney of record, if any, at the address on record for such person in the files of the electoral board.

Upon the expiration of the period within which a proceeding for judicial review must be commenced under Section 10-10.1, the electoral board shall, unless a proceeding for judicial review has been commenced within such period, transmit, by registered or certified mail, a certified copy of its ruling, together with the original certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions and the original objector's petition, to the officer or board with whom the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions, as objected to, were on file, and such officer or board shall abide by and comply with the ruling so made to all intents and purposes.

(Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13; 98-691, eff. 7-1-14; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16.)

Section 10. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by changing Section 7-7-11 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/7-7-11) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-7-11)

Sec. 7-7-11. Elections of Initial Officers of Consolidated Municipalities. (a) The day of the first election of officers of the consolidated municipality shall be the next consolidated election established pursuant to Section 2A-1.1 of The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended, following the consolidation referendum. The day of the first primary election of officers of the consolidated municipality shall be the next consolidated primary election pursuant to Section 2A-1.1 of The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended, following the consolidation referendum.

(b) The first election of officers of the consolidated municipality shall be conducted in accordance with The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended, except that the duties of the local election official and boards set forth in The Election Code shall be performed by the officers designated in subsection (c) of this Section and the nominating petitions shall meet the requirements of subsection (d) of this Section. All elections after such first election of officers shall be conducted in accordance with The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended.

(c) For the first election of officers of the consolidated municipality, the municipal clerk of one of the consolidating municipalities in which the consolidation ordinance was approved by referendum, who shall be designated by the consolidation ordinance, shall perform the duties required of the local election official by The Election Code. For such first election of officers, the municipal clerks of all of the municipalities in which the consolidation ordinance was approved by referendum shall constitute an electoral board to perform the duties required of the municipal officers electoral board by The Election Code and shall also constitute a canvassing board to perform the duties required of officers charged by The Election Code with the duties of canvassing returns.

(d) For the first election of officers of the consolidated municipality, with respect to the number of signatures required by The Election Code for nominating petitions for partisan candidates, the number of qualified primary electors in each consolidating municipality in which the consolidation ordinance was approved by referendum shall be added together to derive a sum which shall be deemed the number of qualified primary electors of the consolidated municipality. For such first election of officers, with respect to the number of signatures required by The Election Code for nominating petitions for independent candidates and candidates of newly formed political parties, the number of voters in each consolidating municipality in which the consolidation ordinance was approved by referendum who voted at the next preceding regular election in each consolidating municipality shall be added together to derive a sum which shall be deemed the number of persons voting in the next preceding election in which the consolidated municipality voted as a unit.

(e) The earliest date for circulation of nominating petitions for the first election of officers of the consolidated municipality and the filing date for such petitions shall be as established by The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended; provided, however, that nothing in The Election Code or in this Code shall be construed as preventing the circulation of nominating petitions for such first election prior to the date of the consolidation referendum, so long as the requirements of The Election Code, as now or hereafter amended, relating to the earliest date for such circulation are otherwise met.

(Source: P.A. 85-1159.)