TITLE 26: ELECTIONS
CHAPTER I: STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
PART 216 REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
SECTION 216.20 DEFINITIONS


 

Section 216.20  Definitions

 

            "Applicant" – An applicant for purposes of this Part is a person who:

 

            appears in person to request the Secretary of State of Illinois to issue a driver's license, including renewals and change of address or an identification card;

 

            appears in person to sign a request to receive public assistance or to renew a request for public assistance, or certify that he or she remains eligible for public assistance from a township government in counties under township organization, or from the county commissioners of a county not under township organization;

 

            meets the definition of an applicant under the statutes or rules which govern the administration of certain social services programs administered by designated agencies of the State of Illinois; or

 

            submits directly to an election authority a Voter Registration Application designed by the Illinois State Board of Elections or the National Mail Voter Registration Booklet designed by the United States Federal Election Commission.

 

            "Application" or "Voter Registration Application" – An application or Voter Registration Application for the purposes of this Part is an Illinois Voter Registration Application designed by the Illinois State Board of Elections or the National Mail Voter Registration Booklet designed by the United States Federal Election Commission or a document with identical purpose and conforming to the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and this Part generated by the Illinois Secretary of State, a designated agency, or an election authority.

 

            "Deputy registrar" – A deputy registrar is a person appointed by an election authority for the limited and particular purpose of registering persons to vote in all elections in Illinois by use of the triplicate registration card.  For purposes of this Part deputy registrar does not include an employee or contractor of the Secretary of State, designated agency, or township supervisor or county commissioner who accepts Voter Registration Applications but who is not so appointed, or any armed forces personnel designated by the United States Department of Defense to accept Voter Registration Applications not so appointed.

 

            "Designated agency" – A designated agency is an agency of the State of Illinois or its contractors selected by the Governor of the State of Illinois to provide an  opportunity to its clients to register to vote at the time the client applies for, reapplies for, or is recertified for services from one or more programs administered by the agency.

 

            "Election authority" – An election authority is a city board of elections commissioners, a county board of elections commissioners, or a county clerk in counties not under the management of a county board of elections commissioners.

 

            "Federal election" – For purposes of voter registration and voting by voters on inactive status, a federal election is a general or special election, including primary elections, for any federal office and a presidential preference primary election.  For purposes of maintaining on inactive status voters who have registered to vote  once transferred to inactive status and for keeping statistics required by Section 216.80 of this Part with respect to Voter Registration Applications, a federal election is a general election, excluding the general primary election.

 

            "Federal office" – Federal office includes electors to elect the President and Vice-President of the United States, United States Senators and Members of the United States Congress.

 

            "Inactive voter" – An inactive voter is a person who, having once submitted a Voter Registration Application subsequently acknowledged by the election authority having jurisdiction over the voter's place of residence, or a registration card, has not responded to a notice to confirm his or her address, but whose authority to vote has not yet been canceled.

 

            "Non-discriminatory" – Non-discriminatory means without intentionally differing treatment of an individual by reason of his or her racial, religious, ethnic, political party, gender, or linguistic characteristics, or without intentional or unintentional disparate impact upon a group of persons identified by racial, religious, ethnic, political party, gender or linguistic characteristics.

 

            "Record" – A record is a Voter Registration Application which has been accepted and acknowledged by an election authority.  Record includes Voter Registration Applications which have been placed in a file of inactive voters, but does not include rejected or unacknowledged Voter Registration Applications.

 

            "Secretary of State" – Secretary of State means the Division of Driver Services of the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.

 

            "Voter Registration Card" – A Voter Registration Card is a voter registration card authorized by the Illinois Election Code and used by election authorities to enroll voters to vote prior to the enactment of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and presently.