(10 ILCS 5/17-14) (from Ch. 46, par. 17-14)
Sec. 17-14. Any voter who declares upon oath, properly witnessed and with
his or her signature or mark affixed, that he or she requires
assistance to vote by reason of blindness, physical disability or inability
to read, write or speak the English language shall, upon request, be
assisted in marking his or her ballot, by 2 judges of
election of different political parties, to be selected by all
judges of election of each precinct at the opening of the polls or by a
person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of
that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union. A
voter who presents an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, issued
to that person under the provisions of the Illinois Identification Card
Act, indicating that such voter has a Class 1A or Class 2 disability under
the provisions of Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act, or a
voter who declares upon oath, properly witnessed, that by reason of any
physical
disability he is unable to mark his ballot shall, upon request, be assisted
in marking his ballot by 2 of the election officers of different parties as
provided above in this Section or by a person of the voter's choice other
than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of
the voter's union. Such voter shall state specifically the
reason why he cannot vote without assistance and, in the case of a
voter with a physical disability, what his physical disability is. Prior to entering the voting
booth,
the person providing the assistance, if other than 2 judges of election,
shall be presented with written instructions on how assistance shall be
provided.
This instruction shall be prescribed by the State Board of Elections and shall
include the penalties for attempting to influence the voter's choice of
candidates, party, or votes in relation to any question on the ballot and for
not marking the ballot as directed by the voter. Additionally, the person
providing the assistance shall sign an oath, swearing not to influence the
voter's choice of candidates, party, or votes in relation to any question on
the ballot and to cast the ballot as directed by the voter. The oath shall be
prescribed by the State Board of Elections and shall include the penalty for
violating this Section. In the voting booth, such person
shall mark the
ballot as directed by the voter, and shall thereafter give no information
regarding the same. The judges of election shall enter upon the poll lists
or official poll record after the name of any elector who received such
assistance in marking his ballot a memorandum of the fact and if the
disability is permanent. Intoxication shall not be regarded as a physical
disability, and no intoxicated person shall be entitled to assistance in
marking his ballot.
No person shall secure or attempt to secure assistance in voting who is
not blind, a person with a physical disability, or illiterate as herein provided, nor shall any
person knowingly assist a voter in voting contrary to the
provisions of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
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