Full Text of HB5018 095th General Assembly
HB5018 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008 HB5018
Introduced , by Rep. David E. Miller SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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10 ILCS 5/20-1 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-1 |
10 ILCS 5/20-2 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-2 |
10 ILCS 5/20-2.1 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-2.1 |
10 ILCS 5/20-2.2 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-2.2 |
10 ILCS 5/20-4 | from Ch. 46, par. 20-4 |
10 ILCS 5/20-5 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-5 |
10 ILCS 5/20-6 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-6 |
10 ILCS 5/20-7 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-7 |
10 ILCS 5/20-8 |
from Ch. 46, par. 20-8 |
10 ILCS 5/20-2.3 rep. |
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Amends the Election Code. Includes members of the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves and the Illinois National Guard, and their spouses and dependents when residing with or accompanying them, among the persons covered by the Code's provisions for military, non-resident, and overseas voters. Authorizes these voters to transmit ballots and ballot applications by fax or electronic means (now, military voters may fax ballot applications). Requires election authorities to have the capability to send and receive fax and electronic transmissions. Requires the State Board of Elections to adopt appropriate rules. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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HB5018 |
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LRB095 18064 JAM 44147 b |
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| AN ACT concerning elections.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing | 5 |
| Sections 20-1, 20-2, 20-2.1, 20-2.2, 20-4, 20-5, 20-6, 20-7, | 6 |
| and 20-8 as follows:
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-1)
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| Sec. 20-1. The following words and phrases contained in | 9 |
| this Article
shall be construed as follows:
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| 1. "Territorial limits of the United States" means each of | 11 |
| the several
States of the United States and includes the | 12 |
| District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam and | 13 |
| the Virgin Islands; but does not
include American Samoa, the | 14 |
| Canal Zone, the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands or any | 15 |
| other territory or possession of the United States.
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| 2. "Member of the United States Service" means (a) members | 17 |
| of the Armed
Forces , Reserve components of the United States | 18 |
| Armed Forces, or Illinois National Guard, while on active duty | 19 |
| and their spouses and dependents of voting
age when residing | 20 |
| with or accompanying them, (b) members of the Merchant
Marine | 21 |
| of the United States and their spouses and dependents when | 22 |
| residing
with or accompanying them and (c) United States | 23 |
| government employees serving
outside the territorial limits of |
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LRB095 18064 JAM 44147 b |
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| the United States.
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| 3. "Citizens of the United States temporarily residing | 3 |
| outside the
territorial limits of the United States" means | 4 |
| civilian citizens of the
United States and their spouses and | 5 |
| dependents of voting age when residing
with or accompanying | 6 |
| them, who maintain a precinct residence in a county in
this | 7 |
| State and whose intent to return may be ascertained.
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| 4. "Non-Resident Civilian Citizens" means civilian | 9 |
| citizens of the United
States (a) who reside outside the | 10 |
| territorial limits of the United States,
(b) who had maintained | 11 |
| a precinct residence in a county in this State
immediately | 12 |
| prior to their departure from the United States, (c) who do not
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| maintain a residence and are not registered to vote in any | 14 |
| other State, and
(d) whose intent to return to this State may | 15 |
| be uncertain.
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| 5. "Official postcard" means the postcard application for | 17 |
| registration
to vote or for an absentee ballot in the form | 18 |
| provided in Section 204(c)
of the Federal Voting Rights Act of | 19 |
| 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1973cc-14(c)).
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| 6. "Federal office" means the offices of President and | 21 |
| Vice-President
of the United States, United States Senator, | 22 |
| Representative in Congress,
delegates and alternate delegates | 23 |
| to the national nominating conventions
and candidates for the | 24 |
| Presidential Preference Primary.
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| 7. "Federal election" means any general, primary or special | 26 |
| election at
which candidates are nominated or elected to |
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| Federal office.
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| 8. "Dependent", for purposes of this Article, shall mean a | 3 |
| father, mother,
brother, sister, son or daughter.
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| (Source: P.A. 81-953.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-2)
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| Sec. 20-2. Any member of the United States Service, | 7 |
| otherwise qualified
to vote, who expects in the course of his | 8 |
| duties to be absent from the
county in which he resides on the | 9 |
| day of holding any election may make
application for an | 10 |
| absentee ballot to the election authority having
jurisdiction | 11 |
| over his precinct of residence on the official postcard or on
a | 12 |
| form furnished by the election authority as prescribed by | 13 |
| Section 20-3 of
this Article not less than 10 days before the | 14 |
| election. An application for an absentee ballot may be sent to | 15 |
| the election authority by mail, by facsimile transmission, or | 16 |
| by other electronic means. Each election authority shall | 17 |
| establish means by which to send and receive absentee ballot | 18 |
| request forms by facsimile transmission or by other electronic | 19 |
| means. A request pursuant
to this Section shall entitle the | 20 |
| applicant to an absentee ballot for every
election in one | 21 |
| calendar year. The original application for ballot shall be
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| kept in the office of the election authority for one year as | 23 |
| authorization
to send a ballot to the voter for each election | 24 |
| to be held within that
calendar year. A certified copy of such | 25 |
| application for ballot shall be
sent each election with the |
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| absentee ballot to the election authority's central ballot | 2 |
| counting location to be used
in lieu of the original | 3 |
| application for ballot. No registration shall be
required in | 4 |
| order to vote pursuant to this Section.
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| Ballots under this Section shall be mailed or transmitted | 6 |
| by facsimile or by other electronic means by the election | 7 |
| authority in
the manner prescribed by Section 20-5 of this | 8 |
| Article and not otherwise.
Ballots voted under this Section may | 9 |
| be returned to the election authority by mail or by facsimile | 10 |
| transmission and must be returned to the election authority
in | 11 |
| sufficient time for delivery to the election authority's | 12 |
| central ballot counting location before
the closing of the | 13 |
| polls on the day of the election. Prior to the next general | 14 |
| election taking place after the effective date of this | 15 |
| amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the State Board of | 16 |
| Elections shall promulgate rules for sending and receiving | 17 |
| applications, post cards, and ballots by facsimile or by other | 18 |
| electronic means. Rules shall include, at a minimum, a | 19 |
| requirement that returned ballots must be accompanied by the | 20 |
| voter's signature consenting to a waiver of the voter's right | 21 |
| to secrecy of the ballot.
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| (Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-2.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-2.1)
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| Sec. 20-2.1. Citizens of the United States temporarily | 25 |
| residing outside
the territorial limits of the United States |
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| who are not registered but
otherwise qualified to vote and who | 2 |
| expect to be absent from their county
of residence during the | 3 |
| periods of voter registration provided for in
Articles 4, 5 or | 4 |
| 6 of this Code and on the day of holding any election, may
make | 5 |
| simultaneous application to the election authority having | 6 |
| jurisdiction
over their precinct of residence for an absentee | 7 |
| registration and absentee
ballot not less than 30 days before | 8 |
| the election. Such application may be
made on the official | 9 |
| postcard or on a form furnished by the election
authority as | 10 |
| prescribed by Section 20-3 of this Article and may be | 11 |
| transmitted to the election authority by mail or by facsimile . | 12 |
| A request for an application for an absentee ballot may be made | 13 |
| by a facsimile machine or by other electronic means. An | 14 |
| application A request pursuant
to this Section shall entitle | 15 |
| the applicant to an absentee ballot for every
election in one | 16 |
| calendar year. The original application for ballot shall be
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| kept in the office of the election authority for one year as | 18 |
| authorization
to send a ballot to the voter for each election | 19 |
| to be held within that
calendar year. A certified copy of such | 20 |
| application for ballot shall be
sent each election with the | 21 |
| absentee ballot to the election authority's central ballot | 22 |
| counting location to be used
in lieu of the original | 23 |
| application for ballot.
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| Registration shall be required in order to vote pursuant to | 25 |
| this Section.
However, if the election authority receives one | 26 |
| of such applications after
30 days but not less than 10 days |
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| before a Federal election, said applicant
shall be sent a | 2 |
| ballot containing the Federal offices only and registration
for | 3 |
| that election shall be waived.
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| Ballots under this Section shall be mailed or transmitted | 5 |
| by facsimile or by other electronic means by the election | 6 |
| authority in
the manner prescribed by Section 20-5 of this | 7 |
| Article and not otherwise. Prior to the next general election | 8 |
| taking place after the effective date of this amendatory Act of | 9 |
| the 95th General Assembly, the State Board of Elections shall | 10 |
| promulgate rules for sending and receiving applications, post | 11 |
| cards, and ballots by facsimile. Rules shall include, at a | 12 |
| minimum, a requirement that ballots returned by facsimile must | 13 |
| be accompanied by the voter's signature consenting to a waiver | 14 |
| of the voter's right to secrecy of the ballot.
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| Ballots under this Section must be returned to the election | 16 |
| authority in
sufficient time for delivery to the election | 17 |
| authority's central ballot counting location before
the | 18 |
| closing of the polls on the day of the election.
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| (Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-2.2) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-2.2)
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| Sec. 20-2.2. Any non-resident civilian citizen, otherwise | 22 |
| qualified to
vote, may make application to the election | 23 |
| authority having jurisdiction
over his precinct of former | 24 |
| residence for an absentee ballot containing
the Federal offices | 25 |
| only not less than 10 days before a Federal election.
Such |
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| application may be made only on the official postcard and may | 2 |
| be made by facsimile or electronic transmission . A request
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| pursuant to this Section shall entitle the applicant to an | 4 |
| absentee ballot
for every election in one calendar year at | 5 |
| which Federal offices are
filled. The original application for | 6 |
| ballot shall be kept in the office of
the election authority | 7 |
| for one year as authorization to send a ballot to
the voter for | 8 |
| each election to be held within that calendar year at which
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| Federal offices are filled. A certified copy of such | 10 |
| application for
ballot shall be sent each election with the | 11 |
| absentee ballot to the election authority's central ballot | 12 |
| counting location to be used in lieu of the original | 13 |
| application for ballot.
No registration shall be required in | 14 |
| order to vote pursuant to this Section.
Ballots under this | 15 |
| Section shall be mailed or transmitted by facsimile or by other | 16 |
| electronic means by the election authority in
the manner | 17 |
| prescribed by Section 20-5 of this Article and not otherwise.
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| Ballots under this Section must be returned to the election | 19 |
| authority in
sufficient time for delivery to the election | 20 |
| authority's central ballot counting location before
the | 21 |
| closing of the polls on the day of the election. Prior to the | 22 |
| next general election taking place after the effective date of | 23 |
| this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the State | 24 |
| Board of Elections shall promulgate rules for sending and | 25 |
| receiving applications, post cards, and ballots by facsimile. | 26 |
| Rules shall include, at a minimum, a requirement that ballots |
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| returned by facsimile must be accompanied by the voter's | 2 |
| signature consenting to a waiver of the voter's right to | 3 |
| secrecy of the ballot.
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| (Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-4)
(from Ch. 46, par. 20-4)
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| Sec. 20-4. Immediately upon the receipt of the official | 7 |
| postcard or
an application as provided in Section 20-3 within | 8 |
| the times heretofore
prescribed, the election authority shall | 9 |
| ascertain whether or not such
applicant is legally entitled to | 10 |
| vote as requested, including verification of the applicant's | 11 |
| signature by comparison with the signature on the official | 12 |
| registration record card, if any. If the election
authority | 13 |
| ascertains that the applicant
is lawfully entitled to vote, it | 14 |
| shall enter the name, street address,
ward and precinct number | 15 |
| of such applicant on a list to be posted in his
or its office in | 16 |
| a place accessible to the public.
Within one day after posting | 17 |
| the name and other information of an
applicant for a ballot, | 18 |
| the election authority shall transmit that name and
posted | 19 |
| information to the State Board of Elections, which shall | 20 |
| maintain the
names and other information in an electronic | 21 |
| format on its website, arranged by
county and accessible to | 22 |
| State and local political committees.
As soon as the
official | 23 |
| ballot is prepared the election authority shall immediately
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| deliver the same to the applicant in person or by mail, in the | 25 |
| manner
prescribed in Section 20-5 , or by use of a facsimile |
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| machine or by other electronic transmission .
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| If any such election authority receives a second or | 3 |
| additional
application which it believes is from the same | 4 |
| person, he or it shall
submit it to the chief judge of the | 5 |
| circuit court or any judge of that
court designated by the | 6 |
| chief judge. If the chief judge or his designate
determines | 7 |
| that the application submitted to him is a second or
additional | 8 |
| one, he shall so notify the election authority who shall
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| disregard the second or additional application.
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| The election authority shall maintain a list for each | 11 |
| election of the
voters to whom it has issued absentee ballots. | 12 |
| The list
shall be maintained for each precinct within the | 13 |
| jurisdiction of the
election authority. Prior to the opening of | 14 |
| the polls on election day,
the election authority shall deliver | 15 |
| to the judges of election in each
precinct the list of | 16 |
| registered voters in that precinct to whom absentee
ballots | 17 |
| have been issued.
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| Election authorities may transmit by facsimile or other | 19 |
| electronic means a ballot simultaneously with transmitting an | 20 |
| application for absentee ballot; however, no such ballot shall | 21 |
| be counted unless an application has been completed by the | 22 |
| voter and the election authority ascertains that the applicant | 23 |
| is lawfully entitled to vote as provided in this Section. | 24 |
| (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-5) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-5)
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| Sec. 20-5. The election authority shall fold the ballot or | 2 |
| ballots in
the manner specified by the statute for folding | 3 |
| ballots prior to their
deposit in the ballot box and shall | 4 |
| enclose such ballot in an envelope
unsealed to be furnished by | 5 |
| it, which envelope shall bear upon the face
thereof the name, | 6 |
| official title and post office address of the election
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| authority, and upon the other side of such envelope there shall | 8 |
| be
printed a certification in substantially the following form:
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| "CERTIFICATION
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| I state that I am a resident/former resident of the ....... | 11 |
| precinct of
the city/village/township of ............, | 12 |
| (Designation to be made by
Election Authority) or of the .... | 13 |
| ward in the city of ...........
(Designation to be made by | 14 |
| Election Authority) residing at ................
in said | 15 |
| city/village/township in the county of ........... and State of
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| Illinois; that I am a
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| 1. ( ) member of the United States Service
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| 2. ( ) citizen of the United States temporarily residing | 19 |
| outside the
territorial limits of the United States
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| 3. ( ) nonresident civilian citizen
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| and desire to cast the enclosed ballot pursuant to Article 20 | 22 |
| of The Election
Code; that I am lawfully entitled to vote in | 23 |
| such precinct at the ...........
election to be held on | 24 |
| ............
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| I further state that I marked the enclosed ballot in | 26 |
| secret.
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| Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Article 29 | 2 |
| of The
Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the | 3 |
| statements set forth
in this certification are true and | 4 |
| correct.
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| ...............(Name)
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| .....................
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| (Service Address)"
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| .....................
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| .....................
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| .....................
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| If the ballot enclosed is to be voted at a primary | 12 |
| election, the
certification shall designate the name of the | 13 |
| political party with which
the voter is affiliated.
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| In addition to the above, the election authority shall | 15 |
| provide
printed slips giving full instructions regarding the | 16 |
| manner of completing
the forms and affidavits for absentee | 17 |
| registration or the manner of marking
and returning the ballot | 18 |
| in order that the same may be counted, and
shall furnish one of | 19 |
| the printed slips to each of the applicants at the
same time | 20 |
| the registration materials or ballot is delivered to him.
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| In addition to the above, if a ballot to be provided to an | 22 |
| elector
pursuant to this Section contains a public question | 23 |
| described in subsection
(b) of Section 28-6 and the territory | 24 |
| concerning which the question is
to be submitted is not | 25 |
| described on the ballot due to the space limitations
of such | 26 |
| ballot, the election authority shall provide a printed copy of
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| a notice of the public question, which shall include a | 2 |
| description of the
territory in the manner required by Section | 3 |
| 16-7. The
notice shall be furnished to the elector at the same | 4 |
| time the ballot
is delivered to the elector.
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| The envelope in which such registration or such ballot is | 6 |
| mailed to the
voter as well as the envelope in which the | 7 |
| registration materials or the
ballot is returned by the voter | 8 |
| shall have
printed across the face thereof two parallel | 9 |
| horizontal red bars, each
one-quarter inch wide, extending from | 10 |
| one side of the envelope to the
other side, with an intervening | 11 |
| space of one-quarter inch, the top bar
to be one and | 12 |
| one-quarter inches from the top of the envelope, and with
the | 13 |
| words "Official Election Balloting Material-VIA AIR MAIL" | 14 |
| between the
bars. In the upper right corner of such envelope in | 15 |
| a box, there shall be
printed the words: "U.S. Postage Paid 42 | 16 |
| USC 1973". All printing
on the face of such envelopes shall be | 17 |
| in red, including an appropriate
inscription or blank in the | 18 |
| upper left corner of return address of sender.
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| Election authorities transmitting ballots by facsimile | 20 |
| machines or electronic means shall, to the extent practicable, | 21 |
| provide the voter by such means with the same instructions, | 22 |
| certification, and other materials required when sending by | 23 |
| mail. Prior to the next general election taking place after the | 24 |
| effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General | 25 |
| Assembly, the State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules | 26 |
| for sending and receiving applications, post cards, and ballots |
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| by facsimile or by other electronic means. | 2 |
| (Source: P.A. 84-1467.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-6) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-6)
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| Sec. 20-6. Such absent voter shall make and subscribe to | 5 |
| the certifications
provided for in the application and on the | 6 |
| return envelope for the
ballot, and such ballot or ballots | 7 |
| shall then be folded by such voter in
the manner required to be | 8 |
| folded before depositing the same in the
ballot box, and be | 9 |
| deposited in such envelope and the envelope securely
sealed. | 10 |
| Such envelope shall be mailed by such voter, to the officer
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| issuing the ballot or, if more convenient, it may be delivered | 12 |
| in
person.
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| When the election authority accepts voted ballots by | 14 |
| facsimile machine, the voter may complete the ballot and return | 15 |
| it by facsimile machine to the election authority, accompanied | 16 |
| by a written signature consenting to a waiver of the voter's | 17 |
| right to secrecy of the ballot. The election authority shall | 18 |
| adopt procedures to limit access to completed ballots received | 19 |
| by facsimile machine. | 20 |
| If the absent voter wishes to return by mail a marked | 21 |
| ballot that the voter received from the election authority by | 22 |
| facsimile machine, the voter may use 2 plain envelopes, marking | 23 |
| one as the security envelope into which the voter shall insert | 24 |
| the marked ballot, and marking the outside envelope as the | 25 |
| return envelope for mailing, or the voter may use a single |
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| envelope, provided the voter includes a waiver of the voter's | 2 |
| right to secrecy of the ballot. The envelope or envelopes shall | 3 |
| be sent to the proper election authority with sufficient paid | 4 |
| postage affixed. | 5 |
| (Source: P.A. 81-155.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-7) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-7)
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| Sec. 20-7. Upon receipt of such absent voter's ballot, the | 8 |
| officer or
officers above described shall forthwith enclose the | 9 |
| same unopened,
together with the application made by said | 10 |
| absent voter in a large or
carrier envelope which shall be | 11 |
| securely sealed and endorsed with the
name and official title | 12 |
| of such officer and the words, "This envelope
contains an | 13 |
| absent voter's ballot and must be opened
on election day," | 14 |
| together with
the number and description of the precinct in | 15 |
| which said ballot is to be
voted, and such officer shall | 16 |
| thereafter safely keep the same in his
office until counted by | 17 |
| him as provided in the next section.
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| When the election authority permits the return of voted | 19 |
| ballots by use of facsimile machines, the election authority | 20 |
| shall take the necessary steps to prepare the ballot for | 21 |
| counting in a manner reasonably consistent with the procedure | 22 |
| required in this Section. | 23 |
| (Source: P.A. 81-155.)
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| (10 ILCS 5/20-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-8)
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| Sec. 20-8. Time and place of counting ballots. | 2 |
| (a) (Blank.) | 3 |
| (b) Each absent voter's ballot returned to an election | 4 |
| authority, by any means authorized by this Article, and | 5 |
| received by that election authority before the closing of the | 6 |
| polls on election day shall be endorsed by the receiving | 7 |
| election authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall | 8 |
| be counted in the central ballot counting location of the | 9 |
| election authority on the day of the election after 7:00 p.m., | 10 |
| except as provided in subsections (g) and (g-5).
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| (c) Each absent voter's ballot that is mailed to an | 12 |
| election authority and postmarked by the midnight preceding the | 13 |
| opening of the polls on election day, but that is received by | 14 |
| the election authority after the polls close on election day | 15 |
| and before the close of the period for counting provisional | 16 |
| ballots cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the | 17 |
| receiving authority with the day and hour of receipt and shall | 18 |
| be counted at the central ballot counting location of the | 19 |
| election authority during the period for counting provisional | 20 |
| ballots. | 21 |
| Each absent voter's ballot that is mailed to an election | 22 |
| authority absent a postmark, but that is received by the | 23 |
| election authority after the polls close on election day and | 24 |
| before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots | 25 |
| cast at that election, shall be endorsed by the receiving | 26 |
| authority with the day and hour of receipt, opened to inspect |
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| the date inserted on the certification, and, if the | 2 |
| certification date is a date preceding the election day and the | 3 |
| ballot is otherwise found to be valid under the requirements of | 4 |
| this Section, counted at the central ballot counting location | 5 |
| of the election authority during the period for counting | 6 |
| provisional ballots. Absent a date on the certification, the | 7 |
| ballot shall not be counted.
| 8 |
| (d) Special write-in absentee voter's blank ballots | 9 |
| returned to an election authority, by any means authorized by | 10 |
| this Article, and received by the election authority at any | 11 |
| time before the closing of the polls on election day shall be | 12 |
| endorsed by the receiving election authority with the day and | 13 |
| hour of receipt and shall be counted at the central ballot | 14 |
| counting location of the election authority during the same | 15 |
| period provided for counting absent voters' ballots under | 16 |
| subsections (b), (g), and (g-5). Special write-in absentee | 17 |
| voter's blank ballot that are mailed to an election authority | 18 |
| and postmarked by midnight preceding the opening of the polls | 19 |
| on election day, but that are received by the election | 20 |
| authority after the polls close on election day and before the | 21 |
| closing of the period for counting provisional ballots cast at | 22 |
| that election, shall be endorsed by the receiving authority | 23 |
| with the day and hour of receipt and shall be counted at the | 24 |
| central ballot counting location of the election authority | 25 |
| during the same periods provided for counting absent voters' | 26 |
| ballots under subsection (c).
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| (e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, absent | 2 |
| voters' ballots and special write-in absentee voter's blank | 3 |
| ballots received by the election authority after the closing of | 4 |
| the polls on the day of election shall be
endorsed by the | 5 |
| person receiving the ballots with the day and hour of
receipt | 6 |
| and shall be safely kept unopened by the election authority for
| 7 |
| the period of time required for the preservation of ballots | 8 |
| used at the
election, and shall then, without being opened, be | 9 |
| destroyed in like
manner as the used ballots of that election.
| 10 |
| (f) Counting required under this Section to begin on | 11 |
| election day after the closing of the polls shall commence no | 12 |
| later than 8:00 p.m. and shall be conducted
by a panel or | 13 |
| panels of election judges appointed in the manner provided
by | 14 |
| law. The counting shall continue until all absent voters' | 15 |
| ballots and special write-in absentee voter's blank ballots | 16 |
| required to be counted on election day have been counted. If | 17 |
| the election authority receives from the same voter both a | 18 |
| marked absent voter's ballot returned by mail and a marked | 19 |
| absent voter's ballot returned by facsimile machine, the | 20 |
| election authority shall count the ballot returned by mail. The | 21 |
| ballot returned by facsimile shall not be counted but shall be | 22 |
| marked "Rejected Duplicate FAX Ballot" and preserved with other | 23 |
| unopened, uncounted ballots.
| 24 |
| (g) The procedures set forth in Articles 17 and
18 of this | 25 |
| Code shall apply to all ballots counted under
this Section. In | 26 |
| addition, within 2 days after a ballot subject to this Article |
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| is received, but in all cases before the close of the period | 2 |
| for counting provisional ballots, the election judge or | 3 |
| official shall compare the voter's signature on the | 4 |
| certification envelope of that ballot with the signature of the | 5 |
| voter on file in the office of the election authority. If the | 6 |
| election judge or official determines that the 2 signatures | 7 |
| match, and that the voter is otherwise qualified to cast a | 8 |
| ballot under this Article, the election authority shall cast | 9 |
| and count the ballot on election day or the day the ballot is | 10 |
| determined to be valid, whichever is later, adding the results | 11 |
| to the precinct in which the voter is registered. If the | 12 |
| election judge or official determines that the signatures do | 13 |
| not match, or that the voter is not qualified to cast a ballot | 14 |
| under this Article, then without opening the certification | 15 |
| envelope, the judge or official shall mark across the face of | 16 |
| the certification envelope the word "Rejected" and shall not | 17 |
| cast or count the ballot. | 18 |
| In addition to the voter's signatures not matching, a | 19 |
| ballot subject to this Article may be rejected by the election | 20 |
| judge or official: | 21 |
| (1) if the ballot envelope is open or has been opened | 22 |
| and resealed; | 23 |
| (2) if the voter has already cast an early or grace | 24 |
| period ballot; | 25 |
| (3) if the voter voted in person on election day or the | 26 |
| voter is not a duly registered voter in the precinct; or |
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| (4) on any other basis set forth in this Code. | 2 |
| If the election judge or official determines that any of | 3 |
| these reasons apply, the judge or official shall mark across | 4 |
| the face of the certification envelope the word "Rejected" and | 5 |
| shall not cast or count the ballot. | 6 |
| (g-5) If a ballot subject to this Article is rejected by | 7 |
| the election judge or official for any reason, the election | 8 |
| authority shall, within 2 days after the rejection but in all | 9 |
| cases before the close of the period for counting provisional | 10 |
| ballots, notify the voter that his or her ballot was rejected. | 11 |
| The notice shall inform the voter of the reason or reasons the | 12 |
| ballot was rejected and shall state that the voter may appear | 13 |
| before the election authority, on or before the 14th day after | 14 |
| the election, to show cause as to why the ballot should not be | 15 |
| rejected. The voter may present evidence to the election | 16 |
| authority supporting his or her contention that the ballot | 17 |
| should be counted. The election authority shall appoint a panel | 18 |
| of 3 election judges to review the contested ballot, | 19 |
| application, and certification envelope, as well as any | 20 |
| evidence submitted by the absentee voter. No more than 2 | 21 |
| election judges on the reviewing panel shall be of the same | 22 |
| political party. The reviewing panel of election judges shall | 23 |
| make a final determination as to the validity of the contested | 24 |
| ballot. The judges' determination shall not be reviewable | 25 |
| either administratively or judicially. | 26 |
| A ballot subject to this subsection that is determined to |
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| be valid shall be counted before the close of the period for | 2 |
| counting provisional ballots. | 3 |
| (g-10) All ballots determined to be valid shall be added to | 4 |
| the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in | 5 |
| the order in which the ballots were opened.
| 6 |
| (h) Each political party,
candidate, and qualified civic | 7 |
| organization shall be entitled to have
present one pollwatcher | 8 |
| for each panel of election judges therein assigned.
| 9 |
| (Source: P.A. 94-557, eff. 8-12-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06; | 10 |
| 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
| 11 |
| (10 ILCS 5/20-2.3 rep.)
| 12 |
| Section 10. The Election Code is amended by repealing | 13 |
| Section 20-2.3.
| 14 |
| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 15 |
| becoming law.
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