(10 ILCS 5/6-59) (from Ch. 46, par. 6-59)
Sec. 6-59.
The Board of Election Commissioners on its own initiative,
or upon order of the circuit court, shall at all times have authority to
conduct investigations and to make canvasses of the registered voters in
any precinct or precincts within its jurisdiction either by the methods
provided in this Article or at other times and by other methods than
those prescribed herein. However, the Board of Election Commissioners
shall, at least
once in every 2 years, conduct a verification of voter registrations
and shall cause the cancellation of registration
of persons who have ceased to be qualified voters. Such verification shall
be accomplished by one of the following methods: (1) precinct canvass conducted
by 2 qualified persons of opposite party affiliation appointed by the Board
of Election Commissioners or (2) written request sent to each registered
voter by first class mail, not forwardable or (3) an alternative method
of verification submitted in writing to and approved by The State Board
of Elections at a public meeting not less than 60 days prior to the date
on which the Board of Election Commissioners has fixed for implementation
of that method of verification; provided, said Board shall submit to the
State Board of Elections a written statement of the results obtained by
use of such alternative method within 30 days of the completion of the verification.
If, upon
the basis of investigations or canvasses, the board shall be of the
opinion that any person registered under this Article is not a qualified
voter or has ceased to be a qualified voter, it shall send a notice
through the United States mail to such person, requiring him to appear
before such board at a time specified in such notice, not less than 10
nor more than 30 days after the mailing of such notice and show cause
why his registration should not be cancelled. If such a person does not
appear, his registration shall be cancelled. If such a person does
appear he shall make an affidavit and shall be heard in the manner
provided by Section 6-45 of this Article, and if his registration is
cancelled as a result of such a hearing, he shall be entitled to a
hearing in the circuit court and to an appeal to the Supreme Court in
the manner provided by Section 6-52 of this Article.
Whenever the Board of Election Commissioners acting under authority
of this section conducts a canvass of the registered voters in any
precinct or precincts and the board designates canvassers to conduct the
canvass, the board shall appoint as canvassers persons affiliated with
the leading political parties in like manner as judges of election are
appointed under the provisions of Section 14-4 of this Act; provided
that in each precinct in counties of 500,000 inhabitants or more, one
canvasser may be appointed from outside such precinct if not enough
other qualified persons who reside within the precinct can be found to
serve as canvasser in such precinct. The one canvasser so appointed to
serve in any precinct in which he is not entitled to vote prior to the
election must be entitled to vote elsewhere within the ward or township
which includes within its boundaries the precinct in which such
canvasser is appointed and such canvasser must be otherwise qualified.
The canvassers, so appointed by virtue of this section, shall comply
with the provisions of Sections 6-40 and 6-41 relative to the mailing
and leaving of notices at the addresses of persons whose right to vote
in the precinct or precincts is questioned.
(Source: P.A. 81-1433.)
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