97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1540

 

Introduced 2/15/2011, by Rep. Daniel V. Beiser

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/4-50
10 ILCS 5/5-50
10 ILCS 5/6-100

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that nursing homes shall be designated as grace period registration sites for nursing home residents. In counties with less than 500,000 inhabitants, provides that nursing homes shall be designated as grace period registration sites for nursing home residents and employees. Provides that nursing home residents who register or change their address during the grace period shall be permitted to vote during the regular nursing home voting period and shall not be required to have submitted an absentee ballot request in advance. Effective immediately.


LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1540LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
5Sections 4-50, 5-50, and 6-100 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/4-50)
7    Sec. 4-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
8provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
9shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
10for change of address during the period from the close of
11registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day
12before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
13unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
14registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
15in the office of the election authority or at a voter
16registration location specifically designated for this purpose
17by the election authority. The election authority shall
18register that individual, or change a registered voter's
19address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
20Article for registration and change of address. To provide
21nursing home residents an equal opportunity to exercise their
22right to vote, each nursing home shall be designated a grace
23period registration site solely for purposes of registering and

 

 

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1completing address changes for residents and employees of that
2nursing home. A deputy registrar employed by each nursing home
3shall be designated to conduct all grace period registrations
4and address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an
5employee of the election authority. Upon completion of a grace
6period registration or address change, the deputy registrar
7shall deliver to the election authority within 24 hours all
8completed forms, and the election authority receiving the forms
9shall add the names of residents who have completed the forms
10to the list of residents entitled to vote during the regular
11nursing home voting period.
12    If a voter who registers or changes address during this
13grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
14occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
15period voting, either in person in the office of the election
16authority or at a location specifically designated for this
17purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
18discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
19be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
2019. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
21during the grace period shall be permitted to vote during the
22regular nursing home voting period and shall not be required to
23have submitted an absentee ballot request in advance.
24    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
25the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
26address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as

 

 

HB1540- 3 -LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
2maintain those names and that information in an electronic
3format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
4State and local political committees. The name of each person
5issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
6appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
7ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
8and 18-5.
9    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
10permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
11respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
12who register or change address during the grace period must be
13transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
14ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
15counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
16determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
17the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which
18the ballots were opened.
19(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
20    (10 ILCS 5/5-50)
21    Sec. 5-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
22provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
23shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
24for change of address during the period from the close of
25registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day

 

 

HB1540- 4 -LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
2unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
3registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
4in the office of the election authority or at a voter
5registration location specifically designated for this purpose
6by the election authority. The election authority shall
7register that individual, or change a registered voter's
8address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
9Article for registration and change of address. To permit
10nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
11registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
12registration sites for nursing home residents.
13     If a voter who registers or changes address during this
14grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
15occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
16period voting, either in person in the office of the election
17authority or at a location specifically designated for this
18purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
19discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
20be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
2119. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
22during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
23home voting period.
24    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
25the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
26address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as

 

 

HB1540- 5 -LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
2maintain those names and that information in an electronic
3format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
4State and local political committees. The name of each person
5issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
6appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
7ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
8and 18-5.
9    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
10permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
11respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
12who register or change address during the grace period must be
13transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
14ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
15counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
16determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
17the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which
18the ballots were opened.
19(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
20    (10 ILCS 5/6-100)
21    Sec. 6-100. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
22provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
23shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
24for change of address during the period from the close of
25registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day

 

 

HB1540- 6 -LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
2unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
3registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
4in the office of the election authority or at a voter
5registration location specifically designated for this purpose
6by the election authority. The election authority shall
7register that individual, or change a registered voter's
8address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
9Article for registration and change of address. To permit
10nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
11registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
12registration sites for nursing home residents.
13    If a voter who registers or changes address during this
14grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
15occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
16period voting, either in person in the office of the election
17authority or at a location specifically designated for this
18purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
19discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
20be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
2119. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
22during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
23home voting period.
24    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
25the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
26address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as

 

 

HB1540- 7 -LRB097 09332 HLH 49467 b

1the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
2maintain those names and that information in an electronic
3format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
4State and local political committees. The name of each person
5issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
6appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
7ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
8and 18-5.
9    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
10permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
11respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
12who register or change address during the grace period must be
13transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
14ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
15counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
16determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
17the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which
18the ballots were opened.
19(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.