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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0129

SB1109 Enrolled                               SRS92SB0033PMcp

    AN ACT concerning the circulation of election petitions.

    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 3-1.2, 7-10, 8-8, 10-4, and 28-3 as follows:

    (10 ILCS 5/3-1.2) (from Ch. 46, par. 3-1.2)
    Sec. 3-1.2.  Eligibility to sign or  circulate  petition.
For  the  purpose  of  determining  eligibility  to  sign  or
circulate  a  nominating  petition  or a petition proposing a
public  question  the  terms  "voter",  "registered   voter",
"qualified   voter",  "legal  voter",  "elector",  "qualified
elector", "primary elector" and "qualified  primary  elector"
as  used  in  this  Code  or  in another Statute shall mean a
person who  is  registered  to  vote  at  the  address  shown
opposite  his  signature on the petition or was registered to
vote at such address when he signed the petition. Any person,
otherwise qualified under this Section, who has not moved  to
another  residence  but whose address has changed as a result
of implementation of a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system shall
be  considered  a  "voter",  "registered  voter",  "qualified
voter",  "legal  voter",  "elector",   "qualified   elector",
"primary elector", and "qualified primary elector".
(Source: P.A. 90-664, eff. 7-30-98; 91-57, eff. 6-30-99.)

    (10 ILCS 5/7-10) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-10)
    Sec.  7-10.  Form of petition for nomination. The name of
no candidate for nomination, or State  central  committeeman,
or  township  committeeman, or precinct committeeman, or ward
committeeman or candidate for delegate or alternate  delegate
to national nominating conventions, shall be printed upon the
primary  ballot  unless  a  petition  for nomination has been
filed  in  his  behalf  as  provided  in  this   Article   in
substantially the following form:
    We,  the  undersigned, members of and affiliated with the
.... party and qualified primary electors of the ....  party,
in  the  ....  of  ....,  in  the county of .... and State of
Illinois, do hereby petition that the following named  person
or  persons  shall  be  a candidate or candidates of the ....
party for the nomination for (or in case of committeemen  for
election  to) the office or offices hereinafter specified, to
be voted for at the primary election to be  held  on  (insert
date).
         Name             Office                Address
    John Jones           Governor           Belvidere, Ill.
   Thomas Smith      Attorney General        Oakland, Ill.
Name..................         Address.......................
State of Illinois)
                 ) ss.
County of........)
    I,  ....,  do hereby certify that I am a registered voter
and have  been  a  registered  voter  at  all  times  I  have
circulated  this  petition, that I reside at No. .... street,
in the .... of ...., county of ...., and State of ....., that
I am 18 years of age or older Illinois, that I am  a  citizen
of  the  United States, and that the signatures on this sheet
were signed in my presence, and are genuine, and that to  the
best  of  my knowledge and belief the persons so signing were
at the time of signing the petitions qualified voters of  the
....   party,   and  that  their  respective  residences  are
correctly stated, as above set forth.
                                    .........................
    Subscribed and sworn to before me on (insert date).
                                    .........................

    Each sheet of the petition other than  the  statement  of
candidacy  and candidate's statement shall be of uniform size
and  shall  contain  above  the  space  for   signatures   an
appropriate  heading  giving  the  information  as to name of
candidate or candidates, in whose  behalf  such  petition  is
signed; the office, the political party represented and place
of  residence;  and  the  heading  of each sheet shall be the
same.
    Such  petition  shall  be  signed  by  qualified  primary
electors residing in the political  division  for  which  the
nomination  is  sought  in  their own proper persons only and
opposite the signature of each signer, his residence  address
shall  be written or printed.  The residence address required
to be written or  printed  opposite  each  qualified  primary
elector's  name  shall  include  the  street address or rural
route number of the signer, as the case may be,  as  well  as
the  signer's  county,  and city, village or town, and state.
However the county or city, village or  town,  and  state  of
residence  of  the  electors  may  be printed on the petition
forms where all of the electors signing the  petition  reside
in  the  same  county  or  city,  village or town, and state.
Standard abbreviations may be used in writing  the  residence
address,  including  street number, if any.  At the bottom of
each sheet of such  petition  shall  be  added  a  circulator
statement  signed by a person 18 years of age or older who is
a citizen of  the  United  States  registered  voter  of  the
political  division,  who  has been a registered voter at all
times he or  she  circulated  the  petition,  for  which  the
candidate is seeking a nomination, stating the street address
or  rural  route  number of the voter, as the case may be, as
well as the voter's county, and city, village  or  town,  and
state;  and  certifying  that the signatures on that sheet of
the  petition  were  signed  in  his  or  her  presence   and
certifying  that  the  signatures are genuine; and either (1)
indicating the dates on which that sheet was  circulated,  or
(2)  indicating  the  first and last dates on which the sheet
was circulated, or (3) certifying that none of the signatures
on the sheet were signed more than 90 days preceding the last
day for the filing of the petition,  or  more  than  45  days
preceding the last day for filing of the petition in the case
of  political  party and independent candidates for single or
multi-county regional superintendents of schools in the  1994
general  primary election; and certifying that the signatures
on the sheet are genuine, and certifying that to the best  of
his  or her knowledge  and belief the persons so signing were
at the time of signing the petitions qualified voters of  the
political  party  for  which  a  nomination  is  sought. Such
statement shall be sworn to before some officer authorized to
administer oaths in this State.
    No petition sheet shall be circulated more than  90  days
preceding  the  last  day  provided  in  Section 7-12 for the
filing of such petition, or more than 45 days  preceding  the
last  day for filing of the petition in the case of political
party and independent candidates for single  or  multi-county
regional  superintendents  of  schools  in  the  1994 general
primary election.
    The person circulating the petition, or the candidate  on
whose  behalf  the  petition  is  circulated,  may strike any
signature from the petition, provided that:;
         (1)  the person striking the signature shall initial
    the petition at the place where the signature is  struck;
    and
         (2)  the  person striking the signature shall sign a
    certification listing the page number and line number  of
    each   signature   struck   from   the   petition.   Such
    certification shall be filed as a part of the petition.
    Such sheets before being filed shall be  neatly  fastened
together  in  book  form, by placing the sheets in a pile and
fastening them together at one edge in a secure and  suitable
manner,  and the sheets shall then be numbered consecutively.
The sheets shall not be fastened by pasting them together end
to end, so as to  form  a  continuous  strip  or  roll.   All
petition  sheets  which  are  filed  with  the  proper  local
election  officials,  election authorities or the State Board
of Elections shall be the original  sheets  which  have  been
signed  by  the voters and by the circulator thereof, and not
photocopies or duplicates of such sheets.  Each petition must
include as a part thereof, a statement of candidacy for  each
of  the candidates filing, or in whose behalf the petition is
filed. This statement shall  set  out  the  address  of  such
candidate,  the  office  for  which  he is a candidate, shall
state that the candidate is a qualified primary voter of  the
party  to which the petition relates and is qualified for the
office specified (in the case  of  a  candidate  for  State's
Attorney  it shall state that the candidate is at the time of
filing such statement  a  licensed  attorney-at-law  of  this
State),  shall  state  that he has filed (or will file before
the close of the  petition  filing  period)  a  statement  of
economic  interests  as required by the Illinois Governmental
Ethics Act, shall request that the candidate's name be placed
upon the official ballot, and shall be subscribed  and  sworn
to  by  such candidate before some officer authorized to take
acknowledgment  of  deeds  in  the  State  and  shall  be  in
substantially the following form:
                   Statement of Candidacy
   Name      Address       Office      District      Party
John Jones  102 Main St.  Governor    Statewide    Republican
            Belvidere,
             Illinois

State of Illinois)
                 ) ss.
County of .......)
    I, ...., being first duly sworn, say  that  I  reside  at
....  Street  in the city (or village) of ...., in the county
of ...., State of Illinois;  that  I  am  a  qualified  voter
therein  and  am a qualified primary voter of the .... party;
that I am a candidate for nomination  (for  election  in  the
case  of  committeeman and delegates and alternate delegates)
to the office of  ....  to  be  voted  upon  at  the  primary
election  to  be  held  on  (insert  date); that I am legally
qualified (including being the holder of any license that may
be an eligibility requirement  for  the  office  I  seek  the
nomination for) to hold such office and that I have filed (or
I will file before the close of the petition filing period) a
statement  of  economic interests as required by the Illinois
Governmental Ethics Act and I hereby request that my name  be
printed  upon  the official primary ballot for nomination for
(or election to in the case of committeemen and delegates and
alternate delegates) such office.
                                Signed ......................
    Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me by  ....,
who is to me personally known, on (insert date).
                                  Signed ....................
                    (Official Character)
(Seal, if officer has one.)

    The  petitions,  when  filed,  shall  not be withdrawn or
added to, and  no  signatures  shall  be  revoked  except  by
revocation   filed   in  writing  with  the  State  Board  of
Elections, election authority or local election official with
whom the petition is required to be  filed,  and  before  the
filing of such petition.  Whoever forges the name of a signer
upon  any  petition required by this Article is deemed guilty
of a forgery and on  conviction  thereof  shall  be  punished
accordingly.
    Petitions of candidates for nomination for offices herein
specified, to be filed with the same officer, may contain the
names of 2 or more candidates of the same political party for
the same or different offices.
    Such petitions for nominations shall be signed:
         (a)  If  for  a  State  office,  or  for delegate or
    alternate delegate to be elected from the State at  large
    to  a  National  nominating  convention  by not less than
    5,000 nor more than 10,000 primary electors of his party.
         (b)  If for a congressional officer or for  delegate
    or  alternate delegate to be elected from a congressional
    district to a national nominating convention by at  least
    .5% of the qualified primary electors of his party in his
    congressional district, except that for the first primary
    following a redistricting of congressional districts such
    petitions  shall  be  signed  by  at  least 600 qualified
    primary  electors  of  the  candidate's  party   in   his
    congressional district.
         (c)  If  for a county office (including county board
    member and chairman of the  county  board  where  elected
    from  the  county  at  large),  by  at  least  .5% of the
    qualified  electors  of  his  party  cast  at  the   last
    preceding  general  election  in his county.  However, if
    for  the  nomination  for  county  commissioner  of  Cook
    County, then by at least .5%  of  the  qualified  primary
    electors  of his or her party in his or her county in the
    district or division in which such person is a  candidate
    for  nomination;  and  if  for county board member from a
    county board district,  then  by  at  least  .5%  of  the
    qualified  primary  electors  of  his party in the county
    board district.  In the case of an  election  for  county
    board member to be elected from a district, for the first
    primary   following   a  redistricting  of  county  board
    districts or the initial establishment  of  county  board
    districts, then by at least .5% of the qualified electors
    of  his  party in the entire county at the last preceding
    general election, divided by the number of  county  board
    districts,  but  in  any event not less than 25 qualified
    primary electors of his party in the district.
         (d)  If for a municipal or  township  office  by  at
    least  .5% of the qualified primary electors of his party
    in the municipality or township; if for alderman,  by  at
    least .5% of the voters of his party of his ward.  In the
    case  of  an  election  for  alderman  or  trustee  of  a
    municipality  to  be elected from a ward or district, for
    the  first  primary  following  a  redistricting  or  the
    initial establishment of wards or districts, then by  .5%
    of  the  total  number of votes cast for the candidate of
    such political party who received the highest  number  of
    votes  in  the  entire  municipality  at the last regular
    election at which an officer was regularly  scheduled  to
    be  elected  from the entire municipality, divided by the
    number of wards or districts, but in any event  not  less
    than  25  qualified  primary electors of his party in the
    ward or district.
         (e)  If for State central committeeman, by at  least
    100 of the primary electors of his or her party of his or
    her congressional district.
         (f)  If  for  a  candidate for trustee of a sanitary
    district in which trustees are not elected from wards, by
    at least .5% of the primary electors of his  party,  from
    such sanitary district.
         (g)  If  for  a  candidate for trustee of a sanitary
    district in which the trustees are elected from wards, by
    at least .5% of the primary electors of his party in  his
    ward of such sanitary district, except that for the first
    primary  following a reapportionment of the district such
    petitions shall be  signed  by  at  least  150  qualified
    primary electors of the candidate's ward of such sanitary
    district.
         (h)  If  The  number  of  signatures  required for a
    candidate for judicial office in a district, circuit,  or
    subcircuit,  by  a  number  of  primary electors at least
    equal to shall be 0.25% of the number of votes  cast  for
    the  judicial candidate of his or her political party who
    received the highest number of votes at the last  regular
    general  election  at  which  a judicial officer from the
    same  district,  circuit,  or  subcircuit  was  regularly
    scheduled to be elected, but in no event fewer  shall  be
    less than 500 signatures.
         (i)  If  for  a candidate for precinct committeeman,
    by at least 10 primary electors of his or  her  party  of
    his  or  her  precinct;  if  for  a  candidate  for  ward
    committeeman,  by not less than 10% nor more than 16% (or
    50 more than the minimum, whichever is  greater)  of  the
    primary  electors  of  his  party  of  his ward; if for a
    candidate for township committeeman, by not less than  5%
    nor  more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever
    is greater) of the primary electors of his party  in  his
    township or part of a township as the case may be.
         (j)  If  for  a  candidate  for  State's Attorney or
    Regional Superintendent of Schools to  serve  2  or  more
    counties,  by at least .5% of the primary electors of his
    party in the territory comprising such counties.
         (k)  If for any other office by at least .5% of  the
    total  number  of  registered  voters  of  the  political
    subdivision,   district   or   division   for  which  the
    nomination is made or  a  minimum  of  25,  whichever  is
    greater.
    For  the  purposes  of this Section the number of primary
electors shall be determined by taking the total  vote  cast,
in  the  applicable  district,  for  the  candidate  for such
political party who received the  highest  number  of  votes,
state-wide,  at  the  last  general  election in the State at
which electors  for  President  of  the  United  States  were
elected.  For  political  subdivisions, the number of primary
electors shall be determined by taking the  total  vote  cast
for  the  candidate for such political party who received the
highest number of votes in such political subdivision at  the
last  regular  election  at  which  an  officer was regularly
scheduled to be elected from that subdivision.  For wards  or
districts  of  political  subdivisions, the number of primary
electors shall be determined by taking the  total  vote  cast
for  the  candidate for such political party who received the
highest number of votes in such ward or district at the  last
regular  election at which an officer was regularly scheduled
to be elected from that ward or district.
    A "qualified primary elector" of a  party  may  not  sign
petitions  for  or be a candidate in the primary of more than
one party.
(Source: P.A. 91-57,  eff.  6-30-99;  91-357,  eff.  7-29-99;
91-358, eff. 7-29-99; revised 8-17-99.)

    (10 ILCS 5/8-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 8-8)
    Sec.  8-8.  Form of petition for nomination.  The name of
no candidate for nomination shall be printed upon the primary
ballot unless a petition for nomination shall have been filed
in his behalf as provided for in  this  Section.   Each  such
petition shall include as a part thereof the oath required by
Section  7-10.1  of  this Act and a statement of candidacy by
the candidate filing or  in  whose  behalf  the  petition  is
filed.   This  statement  shall  set  out the address of such
candidate, the office for which  he  is  a  candidate,  shall
state  that the candidate is a qualified primary voter of the
party to which the petition relates,  is  qualified  for  the
office  specified  and  has  filed  a  statement  of economic
interests as required by  the  Illinois  Governmental  Ethics
Act,  shall  request that the candidate's name be placed upon
the official ballot and shall be subscribed and sworn by such
candidate   before   some   officer   authorized   to    take
acknowledgment   of  deeds  in  this  State  and  may  be  in
substantially the following form:
State of Illinois)
                 ) ss.
County ..........)
    I, ...., being first duly sworn, say  that  I  reside  at
.... street in the city (or village of) .... in the county of
....  State  of Illinois; that I am a qualified voter therein
and am a qualified primary voter of .... party; that I  am  a
candidate  for  nomination  to the office of .... to be voted
upon at the primary election to be  held  on  (insert  date);
that  I  am  legally qualified to hold such office and that I
have filed a statement of economic interests as  required  by
the  Illinois  Governmental  Ethics  Act and I hereby request
that my name be printed upon the official primary ballot  for
nomination for such office.
                                  Signed ....................
    Subscribed  and sworn to (or affirmed) before me by ....,
who is to me personally known, on (insert date).
              Signed .... (Official Character)
                 (Seal if officer has one.)
    All petitions for nomination  for  the  office  of  State
Senator  shall  be signed by 1% or 600, whichever is greater,
of the qualified primary electors of the candidate's party in
his legislative district, except that for the  first  primary
following  a  redistricting  of  legislative  districts, such
petitions shall be signed by at least 600  qualified  primary
electors   of   the  candidate's  party  in  his  legislative
district.
    All  petitions  for  nomination   for   the   office   of
Representative  in the General Assembly shall be signed by at
least 1% or 300,  whichever  is  greater,  of  the  qualified
primary  electors  of  the  candidate's  party  in his or her
representative district, except that for  the  first  primary
following  a  redistricting  of representative districts such
petitions shall be signed by at least 300  qualified  primary
electors   of   the   candidate's   party   in   his  or  her
representative district.
    Opposite the signature of each qualified primary  elector
who  signs  a petition for nomination for the office of State
Representative or  State  Senator  such  elector's  residence
address  shall  be written or printed.  The residence address
required to be written or  printed  opposite  each  qualified
primary  elector's  name  shall include the street address or
rural route number of the signer, as the case may be, as well
as the signer's county and city, village or town.
    For the purposes of this Section, the number  of  primary
electors  shall  be determined by taking the total vote cast,
in the  applicable  district,  for  the  candidate  for  such
political  party  who  received  the highest number of votes,
state-wide, at the last general  election  in  the  State  at
which  electors  for  President  of  the  United  States were
elected.
    A "qualified primary elector" of a  party  may  not  sign
petitions  for  or be a candidate in the primary of more than
one party.
    In the  affidavit  at  the  bottom  of  each  sheet,  the
petition circulator, who shall be a person 18 years of age or
older  who  is  a  citizen  of  the United States have been a
registered voter at  all  times  he  or  she  circulated  the
petition,  shall  state  his  or  her street address or rural
route number, as the case may be,  as  well  as  his  or  her
county,  and  city,  village  or  town,  and state; and shall
certify that the signatures on that  sheet  of  the  petition
were  signed  in  his or her presence; and shall certify that
the signatures are genuine; and shall  certify  that  to  the
best  of  his  or  her  knowledge  and  belief the persons so
signing were at the time of signing  the  petition  qualified
primary voters for which the nomination is sought.
    In  the  affidavit  at the bottom of each petition sheet,
the petition circulator shall either (1) indicate  the  dates
on which he or she circulated that sheet, or (2) indicate the
first  and  last  dates on which the sheet was circulated, or
(3) certify that none of the signatures  on  the  sheet  were
signed  more  than  90  days  preceding  the last day for the
filing  of  the  petition.   No  petition  sheet   shall   be
circulated  more than 90 days preceding the last day provided
in Section 8-9 for the filing of such petition.
    All petition sheets which are filed with the State  Board
of  Elections  shall  be  the original sheets which have been
signed  by  the  voters  and  by  the  circulator,  and   not
photocopies or duplicates of such sheets.
    The  person circulating the petition, or the candidate on
whose behalf the  petition  is  circulated,  may  strike  any
signature from the petition, provided that:
         (1)  the person striking the signature shall initial
    the  petition at the place where the signature is struck;
    and
         (2)  the person striking the signature shall sign  a
    certification  listing the page number and line number of
    each  signature   struck   from   the   petition.    Such
    certification shall be filed as a part of the petition.
(Source: P.A. 91-57, eff. 6-30-99; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

    (10 ILCS 5/10-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-4)
    Sec.   10-4.  Form   of   petition  for  nomination.  All
petitions for nomination under this Article 10 for candidates
for public office in this State, shall in addition  to  other
requirements  provided by law, be as follows:  Such petitions
shall consist of sheets of uniform size and each sheet  shall
contain,  above  the  space  for  signature,  an  appropriate
heading,  giving  the  information as to name of candidate or
candidates in whose  behalf  such  petition  is  signed;  the
office;  the  party;  place  of  residence;  and  such  other
information  or  wording  as required to make same valid, and
the heading of each sheet shall be the same.   Such  petition
shall  be  signed by the qualified voters in their own proper
persons only, and opposite the signature of each  signer  his
residence address shall be written or printed.  The residence
address  required  to  be  written  or  printed opposite each
qualified primary elector's name  shall  include  the  street
address  or rural route number of the signer, as the case may
be, as well as the signer's  county,  and  city,  village  or
town,  and  state.   However,  the county or city, village or
town, and state of residence of such electors may be  printed
on  the petition forms where all of the such electors signing
the petition reside in the same county or  city,  village  or
town,  and  state.   Standard  abbreviations  may  be used in
writing the residence address, including  street  number,  if
any.    No   signature  shall  be  valid  or  be  counted  in
considering the validity  or  sufficiency  of  such  petition
unless the requirements of this Section are complied with. At
the  bottom  of  each sheet of such petition shall be added a
circulator's statement, signed by a person 18 years of age or
older who is a citizen of the United States registered  voter
of the political division, who has been a registered voter at
all  times  he  or she circulated the petition, for which the
candidate or  candidates  shall  be  nominated;  stating  the
street  address  or  rural  route number of the voter, as the
case may be, as well as the voter's county, and city, village
or town, and state; certifying that the  signatures  on  that
sheet  of  the  petition  were signed in his or her presence;
certifying that the signatures are genuine;  and  either  (1)
indicating  the  dates on which that sheet was circulated, or
(2) indicating the first and last dates on  which  the  sheet
was circulated, or (3) certifying that none of the signatures
on the sheet were signed more than 90 days preceding the last
day  for  the  filing  of  the petition, or more than 45 days
preceding the last day for filing of the petition in the case
of political party and independent candidates for  single  or
multi-county  regional superintendents of schools in the 1994
general primary election; and certifying that to the best  of
his  knowledge  and belief the persons so signing were at the
time of signing the petition  duly  registered  voters  under
Articles  4,  5 or 6 of the Code of the political subdivision
or district for which the candidate or  candidates  shall  be
nominated,  and  certifying  that their respective residences
are correctly stated therein.  Such statement shall be  sworn
to before some officer authorized to administer oaths in this
State.   No  petition  sheet shall be circulated more than 90
days preceding the last day provided in Section 10-6 for  the
filing  of  such petition, or more than 45 days preceding the
last day for filing of the petition in the case of  political
party  and  independent candidates for single or multi-county
regional superintendents  of  schools  in  the  1994  general
primary  election. Such sheets, before being presented to the
electoral board or filed  with  the  proper  officer  of  the
electoral  district or division of the state or municipality,
as the case may be, shall be neatly fastened together in book
form, by placing the sheets in  a  pile  and  fastening  them
together at one edge in a secure and suitable manner, and the
sheets  shall  then  be  numbered  consecutively.  The sheets
shall not be fastened by pasting them together end to end, so
as to form a continuous strip or roll.  All  petition  sheets
which  are  filed  with  the proper local election officials,
election authorities or the State Board of Elections shall be
the original sheets which have been signed by the voters  and
by  the circulator, and not photocopies or duplicates of such
sheets.  A petition, when presented or filed,  shall  not  be
withdrawn,  altered,  or  added to, and no signature shall be
revoked except by revocation in writing  presented  or  filed
with  the  officers  or  officer  with  whom  the petition is
required to be presented or filed, and before the presentment
or filing of such petition.  Whoever forges  any  name  of  a
signer upon any petition shall be deemed guilty of a forgery,
and  on  conviction  thereof,  shall be punished accordingly.
The word "petition" or "petition  for  nomination",  as  used
herein,  shall  mean  what  is  sometimes known as nomination
papers, in distinction to what is known as a  certificate  of
nomination.  The  words  "political  division  for  which the
candidate is nominated", or its equivalent,  shall  mean  the
largest  political division in which all qualified voters may
vote upon such candidate or candidates, as the state  in  the
case  of state officers; the township in the case of township
officers et cetera. Provided, further, that no  person  shall
circulate  or  certify  petitions for candidates of more than
one political party,  or  for  an  independent  candidate  or
candidates  in  addition  to one political party, to be voted
upon at the next primary or general  election,  or  for  such
candidates  and  parties  with  respect to the same political
subdivision at the next consolidated election.
(Source: P.A. 91-57, eff. 6-30-99.)

    (10 ILCS 5/28-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-3)
    Sec.  28-3.  Form  of  petition  for   public   question.
Petitions  for  the  submission  of  public  questions  shall
consist  of  sheets  of  uniform  size  and  each sheet shall
contain,  above  the  space  for  signature,  an  appropriate
heading, giving the information as to the question of  public
policy  to be submitted, and specifying the state at large or
the  political  subdivision  or  district  or   precinct   or
combination of precincts or other territory in which it is to
be  submitted  and,  where by law the public question must be
submitted at a particular election, the election at which  it
is  to  be  submitted.  In  the  case  of  a petition for the
submission of a public question described in  subsection  (b)
of  Section  28-6, the heading shall also specify the regular
election at which the question is to be submitted and include
the precincts included in the territory concerning which  the
public  question  is  to  be  submitted,  as well as a common
description of such territory in plain and nonlegal language,
such description to describe the territory  by  reference  to
streets,  natural  or  artificial landmarks, addresses or any
other method which would enable a voter signing the  petition
to be informed of the territory concerning which the question
is  to  be submitted.  The heading of each sheet shall be the
same. Such petition shall be signed by the registered  voters
of  the  political  subdivision  or  district  or precinct or
combination of precincts in  which  the  question  of  public
policy  is  to be submitted in their own proper persons only,
and opposite the  signature  of  each  signer  his  residence
address  shall be written or printed, which residence address
shall include the street address or rural route number of the
signer, as the case may be, as well as the  signer's  county,
and  city,  village  or  town,  and  state; provided that the
county or city, village or town, and state  of  residence  of
such  electors may be printed on the petition forms where all
of the such electors signing the petition reside in the  same
county  or  city,  village  or  town,  and  state.   Standard
abbreviations  may  be used in writing the residence address,
including street number, if any. No signature shall be  valid
or  be  counted in considering the validity or sufficiency of
such petition unless the requirements  of  this  Section  are
complied with.
    At  the  bottom  of  each sheet of such petition shall be
added a circulator's statement, signed by a person  18  years
of  age  or  older  who  is  a  citizen  of the United States
registered voter, who has been  a  registered  voter  at  all
times  he  or  she  circulated the petition, of the political
subdivision  or  district  or  precinct  or  combination   of
precincts  in  which  the  question of public policy is to be
submitted, stating the street address or rural  route  number
of  the  voter,  as  the  case may be, as well as the voter's
county, and city, village or town, and state; certifying that
the signatures on that sheet of the petition were  signed  in
his  or her presence and are genuine, and that to the best of
his or her knowledge and belief the persons so  signing  were
at  the time of signing the petition registered voters of the
political subdivision or district or precinct or  combination
of  precincts in which the question of public policy is to be
submitted and that their respective residences are  correctly
stated  therein. Such statement shall be sworn to before some
officer authorized to administer oaths in this State.
    Such sheets, before being filed with the  proper  officer
or  board shall be bound securely and numbered consecutively.
The sheets shall not be fastened by pasting them together end
to end, so as to  form  a  continuous  strip  or  roll.   All
petition  sheets  which  are  filed  with  the  proper  local
election  officials,  election authorities or the State Board
of Elections shall be the original  sheets  which  have  been
signed   by  the  voters  and  by  the  circulator,  and  not
photocopies or duplicates of such sheets.  A  petition,  when
presented or filed, shall not be withdrawn, altered, or added
to, and no signature shall be revoked except by revocation in
writing  presented  or  filed  with the board or officer with
whom the petition is required to be presented or  filed,  and
before  the presentment or filing of such petition, except as
may otherwise be provided in another statute which  authorize
the public question. Whoever forges any name of a signer upon
any  petition  shall  be  deemed  guilty of a forgery, and on
conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly.
    In addition to the  foregoing  requirements,  a  petition
proposing  an  amendment  to  Article  IV of the Constitution
pursuant to Section 3 of Article XIV of the Constitution or a
petition  proposing  a  question  of  public  policy  to   be
submitted  to  the  voters  of  the  entire State shall be in
conformity with the requirements  of  Section  28-9  of  this
Article.
    If  multiple sets of petitions for submission of the same
public questions are filed, the  State  Board  of  Elections,
appropriate  election  authority  or  local election official
where the petitions are filed shall within  2  business  days
notify  the proponent of his or her multiple petition filings
and that proponent has 3 business days after receipt  of  the
notice  to  notify  the State Board of Elections, appropriate
election authority or local election official that he or  she
may  cancel  prior  sets  of  petitions.    If  the proponent
notifies the State Board of Elections,  appropriate  election
authority  or  local  election  official,  the  last  set  of
petitions  filed shall be the only petitions to be considered
valid by the State Board of Elections,  appropriate  election
authority or local election official.  If the proponent fails
to  notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election
authority or local election official then only the first  set
of   petitions  filed  shall  be  valid  and  all  subsequent
petitions shall be void.
(Source: P.A. 91-57, eff. 6-30-99.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly May 17, 2001.
    Approved July 20, 2001.

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