98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB4301

 

Introduced , by Rep. William Davis

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/7-41  from Ch. 46, par. 7-41
10 ILCS 5/11-4.1  from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.1
10 ILCS 5/17-29  from Ch. 46, par. 17-29
10 ILCS 5/19-2.2  from Ch. 46, par. 19-2.2
105 ILCS 5/22-21  from Ch. 122, par. 22-21

    Amends the School Code. Provides that if a school board determines that it is infeasible for a school to act as a polling place while enforcing its written and standard policies regarding persons who are not students of nor employed by the school entering the school, the school board shall notify the appropriate officer or board having responsibility for providing polling places for elections that the school may not be used as a polling place. Amends the Election Code. Provides that schools that have asserted the right to not be used as a polling place under the School Code shall not be required to make the school available as a polling place. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB4301LRB098 17809 MGM 52932 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 7-41, 11-4.1, 17-29, and 19-2.2 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/7-41)  (from Ch. 46, par. 7-41)
7    Sec. 7-41. (a) All officers upon whom is imposed by law the
8duty of designating and providing polling places for general
9elections, shall provide in each such polling place so
10designated and provided, a sufficient number of booths for such
11primary election, which booths shall be provided with shelves,
12such supplies and pencils as will enable the voter to prepare
13his ballot for voting and in which voters may prepare their
14ballots screened from all observation as to the manner in which
15they do so. Such booths shall be within plain view of the
16election officers and both they and the ballot boxes shall be
17within plain view of those within the proximity of the voting
18booths. No person other than election officers and the
19challengers allowed by law and those admitted for the purpose
20of voting, as hereinafter provided, shall be permitted within
21the proximity of the voting booths, except by authority of the
22primary officers to keep order and enforce the law.
23    (b) The number of such voting booths shall not be less than

 

 

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1one to every seventy-five voters or fraction thereof, who voted
2at the last preceding election in the precinct or election
3district.
4    (c) No person shall do any electioneering or soliciting of
5votes on primary day within any polling place or within one
6hundred feet of any polling place, or, at the option of a
7church or private school, on any of the property of that church
8or private school that is a polling place. Election officers
9shall place 2 or more cones, small United States national
10flags, or some other marker a distance of 100 horizontal feet
11from each entrance to the room used by voters to engage in
12voting, which shall be known as the polling room. If the
13polling room is located within a building that is a private
14business, a public or private school, or a church or other
15organization founded for the purpose of religious worship and
16the distance of 100 horizontal feet ends within the interior of
17the building, then the markers shall be placed outside of the
18building at each entrance used by voters to enter that building
19on the grounds adjacent to the thoroughfare or walkway. If the
20polling room is located within a public or private building
21with 2 or more floors and the polling room is located on the
22ground floor, then the markers shall be placed 100 horizontal
23feet from each entrance to the polling room used by voters to
24engage in voting. If the polling room is located in a public or
25private building with 2 or more floors and the polling room is
26located on a floor above or below the ground floor, then the

 

 

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1markers shall be placed a distance of 100 feet from the nearest
2elevator or staircase used by voters on the ground floor to
3access the floor where the polling room is located. The area
4within where the markers are placed shall be known as a
5campaign free zone, and electioneering is prohibited pursuant
6to this subsection. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
7Section, a church or private school may choose to apply the
8campaign free zone to its entire property, and, if so, the
9markers shall be placed near the boundaries on the grounds
10adjacent to the thoroughfares or walkways leading to the
11entrances used by the voters. At or near the door of each
12polling place, the election judges shall place signage
13indicating the proper entrance to the polling place. In
14addition, the election judges shall ensure that a sign
15identifying the location of the polling place is placed on a
16nearby public roadway. The State Board of Elections shall
17establish guidelines for the placement of polling place
18signage.
19    The area on polling place property beyond the campaign free
20zone, whether publicly or privately owned, is a public forum
21for the time that the polls are open on an election day. At the
22request of election officers any publicly owned building, other
23than schools that have asserted the rights granted by
24subsection (a-5) of Section 22-21 of the School Code, must be
25made available for use as a polling place. A person shall have
26the right to congregate and engage in electioneering on any

 

 

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1polling place property while the polls are open beyond the
2campaign free zone, including but not limited to, the placement
3of temporary signs. This subsection shall be construed
4liberally in favor of persons engaging in electioneering on all
5polling place property beyond the campaign free zone for the
6time that the polls are open on an election day.
7    (d) The regulation of electioneering on polling place
8property on an election day, including but not limited to the
9placement of temporary signs, is an exclusive power and
10function of the State. A home rule unit may not regulate
11electioneering and any ordinance or local law contrary to
12subsection (c) is declared void. This is a denial and
13limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection
14(h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.
15(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
 
16    (10 ILCS 5/11-4.1)  (from Ch. 46, par. 11-4.1)
17    Sec. 11-4.1. (a) In appointing polling places under this
18Article, the county board or board of election commissioners
19shall, insofar as they are convenient and available, use
20schools and other public buildings (other than schools that
21have asserted the rights granted by subsection (a-5) of Section
2222-21 of the School Code) as polling places.
23    (b) Upon request of the county board or board of election
24commissioners, the proper agency of government (including
25school districts and units of local government) shall make a

 

 

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1public building under its control (other than schools that have
2asserted the rights granted by subsection (a-5) of Section
322-21 of the School Code) available for use as a polling place
4on an election day and for a reasonably necessary time before
5and after election day, without charge. If the county board or
6board of election commissioners chooses a school to be a
7polling place, then the school district must make the school
8available for use as a polling place, except as provided by
9subsection (a-5) of Section 22-21 of the School Code. However,
10if a school has not asserted its rights granted by subsection
11(a-5) of Section 22-21 of the School Code or has been ordered
12by a circuit court to make the building available, for the day
13of the election, a school district may choose to (i) keep the
14school open or (ii) hold a teachers institute on the day of the
15election that day.
16    (c) A government agency which makes a public building under
17its control available for use as a polling place shall ensure
18the portion of the building to be used as the polling place is
19accessible to handicapped and elderly voters.
20    (d) If a qualified elector's precinct polling place is a
21school and the elector will be unable to enter that polling
22place without violating Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of
232012 because the elector is a child sex offender as defined in
24Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that elector may
25vote by absentee ballot in accordance with Article 19 of this
26Code or may vote early in accordance with Article 19A of this

 

 

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1Code.
2(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
3    (10 ILCS 5/17-29)  (from Ch. 46, par. 17-29)
4    Sec. 17-29. (a) No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other
5person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering
6or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion
7within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place,
8or, at the option of a church or private school, on any of the
9property of that church or private school that is a polling
10place; no person shall interrupt, hinder or oppose any voter
11while approaching within those areas for the purpose of voting.
12Judges of election shall enforce the provisions of this
13Section.
14    (b) Election officers shall place 2 or more cones, small
15United States national flags, or some other marker a distance
16of 100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the room used by
17voters to engage in voting, which shall be known as the polling
18room. If the polling room is located within a building that is
19a private business, a public or private school, or a church or
20other organization founded for the purpose of religious worship
21and the distance of 100 horizontal feet ends within the
22interior of the building, then the markers shall be placed
23outside of the building at each entrance used by voters to
24enter that building on the grounds adjacent to the thoroughfare
25or walkway. If the polling room is located within a public or

 

 

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1private building with 2 or more floors and the polling room is
2located on the ground floor, then the markers shall be placed
3100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the polling room used
4by voters to engage in voting. If the polling room is located
5in a public or private building with 2 or more floors and the
6polling room is located on a floor above or below the ground
7floor, then the markers shall be placed a distance of 100 feet
8from the nearest elevator or staircase used by voters on the
9ground floor to access the floor where the polling room is
10located. The area within where the markers are placed shall be
11known as a campaign free zone, and electioneering is prohibited
12pursuant to this subsection. Notwithstanding any other
13provision of this Section, a church or private school may
14choose to apply the campaign free zone to its entire property,
15and, if so, the markers shall be placed near the boundaries on
16the grounds adjacent to the thoroughfares or walkways leading
17to the entrances used by the voters.
18    The area on polling place property beyond the campaign free
19zone, whether publicly or privately owned, is a public forum
20for the time that the polls are open on an election day. At the
21request of election officers any publicly owned building, other
22than schools that have asserted the rights granted by
23subsection (a-5) of Section 22-21 of the School Code, must be
24made available for use as a polling place. A person shall have
25the right to congregate and engage in electioneering on any
26polling place property while the polls are open beyond the

 

 

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1campaign free zone, including but not limited to, the placement
2of temporary signs. This subsection shall be construed
3liberally in favor of persons engaging in electioneering on all
4polling place property beyond the campaign free zone for the
5time that the polls are open on an election day. At or near the
6door of each polling place, the election judges shall place
7signage indicating the proper entrance to the polling place. In
8addition, the election judges shall ensure that a sign
9identifying the location of the polling place is placed on a
10nearby public roadway. The State Board of Elections shall
11establish guidelines for the placement of polling place
12signage.
13    (c) The regulation of electioneering on polling place
14property on an election day, including but not limited to the
15placement of temporary signs, is an exclusive power and
16function of the State. A home rule unit may not regulate
17electioneering and any ordinance or local law contrary to
18subsection (c) is declared void. This is a denial and
19limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection
20(h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.
21(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
 
22    (10 ILCS 5/19-2.2)  (from Ch. 46, par. 19-2.2)
23    Sec. 19-2.2. (a) During the period beginning on the 40th
24day preceding an election and continuing through the day
25preceding such election, no advertising pertaining to any

 

 

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1candidate or proposition to be voted upon shall be displayed in
2or within 100 feet of any room used by voters pursuant to this
3Article, or, at the option of a church or private school, on
4any of the property of that church or private school that is a
5polling place; nor shall any person engage in electioneering in
6or within 100 feet of any such room, or, at the option of a
7church or private school, on any of the property of that church
8or private school that is a polling place. Any person who
9violates this Section may be punished as for contempt of court.
10    (b) Election officers shall place 2 or more cones, small
11United States national flags, or some other marker a distance
12of 100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the room used by
13voters to engage in voting, or, at the option of a church or
14private school, on any of the property of that church or
15private school that is a polling place, which shall be known as
16the polling room. If the polling room is located within a
17building that is a private business, a public or private
18school, or a church or other organization founded for the
19purpose of religious worship and the distance of 100 horizontal
20feet ends within the interior of the building, then the markers
21shall be placed outside of the building at each entrance used
22by voters to enter that building on the grounds adjacent to the
23thoroughfare or walkway. If the polling room is located within
24a public or private building with 2 or more floors and the
25polling room is located on the ground floor, then the markers
26shall be placed 100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the

 

 

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1polling room used by voters to engage in voting. If the polling
2room is located in a public or private building with 2 or more
3floors and the polling room is located on a floor above or
4below the ground floor, then the markers shall be placed a
5distance of 100 feet from the nearest elevator or staircase
6used by voters on the ground floor to access the floor where
7the polling room is located. The area within where the markers
8are placed shall be known as a campaign free zone, and
9electioneering is prohibited pursuant to this subsection.
10Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a church
11or private school may choose to apply the campaign free zone to
12its entire property, and, if so, the markers shall be placed
13near the boundaries on the grounds adjacent to the
14thoroughfares or walkways leading to the entrances used by the
15voters.
16    The area on polling place property beyond the campaign free
17zone, whether publicly or privately owned, is a public forum
18for the time that the polls are open on an election day. At the
19request of election officers any publicly owned building, other
20than schools that have asserted the rights granted by
21subsection (a-5) of Section 22-21 of the School Code, must be
22made available for use as a polling place. A person shall have
23the right to congregate and engage in electioneering on any
24polling place property while the polls are open beyond the
25campaign free zone, including but not limited to, the placement
26of temporary signs. This subsection shall be construed

 

 

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1liberally in favor of persons engaging in electioneering on all
2polling place property beyond the campaign free zone for the
3time that the polls are open on an election day.
4    (c) The regulation of electioneering on polling place
5property on an election day, including but not limited to the
6placement of temporary signs, is an exclusive power and
7function of the State. A home rule unit may not regulate
8electioneering and any ordinance or local law contrary to
9subsection (b) is declared void. This is a denial and
10limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection
11(h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.
12(Source: P.A. 93-574, eff. 8-21-03; 93-847, eff. 7-30-04.)
 
13    Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section
1422-21 as follows:
 
15    (105 ILCS 5/22-21)  (from Ch. 122, par. 22-21)
16    Sec. 22-21. Elections-Use of school buildings.
17    (a) Unless a school board asserts the rights granted by
18subsection (a-5) of this Section, every Every school board
19shall offer to the appropriate officer or board having
20responsibility for providing polling places for elections the
21use of any and all buildings under its jurisdiction for any and
22all elections to be held, if so requested by such appropriate
23officer or board.
24    (a-5) If a school board determines that it is infeasible

 

 

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1for a school to act as a polling place while enforcing its
2written and standard policies regarding persons who are not
3students of nor employed by the school entering the school, the
4school board shall notify the appropriate officer or board
5having responsibility for providing polling places for
6elections that the school may not be used as a polling place.
7The notice shall be signed by the principal of any school named
8in the notice. If an appropriate officer or board having
9responsibility for providing polling places for elections
10determines there is no reasonable alternative to using the
11school as a polling place, the officer or board may seek relief
12in the circuit court of the jurisdiction in which the principal
13office of the school district lies.
14    (b) If any buildings under a school board's jurisdiction is
15used for an election, election Election officers shall place 2
16or more cones, small United States national flags, or some
17other marker a distance of 100 horizontal feet from each
18entrance to the room used by voters to engage in voting, which
19shall be known as the polling room. If the polling room is
20located within a building that is a public or private school
21and the distance of 100 horizontal feet ends within the
22interior of the building, then the markers shall be placed
23outside of the building at each entrance used by voters to
24enter that building on the grounds adjacent to the thoroughfare
25or walkway. If the polling room is located within a public or
26private school building with 2 or more floors and the polling

 

 

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1room is located on the ground floor, then the markers shall be
2placed 100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the polling
3room used by voters to engage in voting. If the polling room is
4located in a public or private school building with 2 or more
5floors and the polling room is located on a floor above or
6below the ground floor, then the markers shall be placed a
7distance of 100 feet from the nearest elevator or staircase
8used by voters on the ground floor to access the floor where
9the polling room is located. The area within where the markers
10are placed shall be known as a campaign free zone, and
11electioneering is prohibited pursuant to this subsection.
12    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the area
13on polling place property beyond the campaign free zone,
14whether publicly or privately owned, is a public forum for the
15time that the polls are open on an election day. At the request
16of election officers any publicly owned building must be made
17available for use as a polling place. A person shall have the
18right to congregate and engage in electioneering on any polling
19place property while the polls are open beyond the campaign
20free zone, including but not limited to, the placement of
21temporary signs. This subsection shall be construed liberally
22in favor of persons engaging in electioneering on all polling
23place property beyond the campaign free zone for the time that
24the polls are open on an election day.
25(Source: P.A. 93-574, eff. 8-21-03.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.