99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB4208

 

Introduced , by Rep. Robyn Gabel

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.6

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that specified government agencies shall assist individuals to register to vote unless the individual chooses to not register. Provides that employees of designated government agencies must inform the applicant of his or her right to opt out of this voter registration. Provides that employees must inform the applicant that if he or she is not a citizen of the United States, he or she must opt out. Provides that applicants opting out of the automatic voter registration shall not be required to disclose whether he or she is a citizen of the United States or his or her reason for opting out.


LRB099 12124 MGM 34822 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4208LRB099 12124 MGM 34822 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 Section
51A-16.6 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/1A-16.6)
7    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a
8delayed effective date)
9    Sec. 1A-16.6. Government agency voter registration.
10    (a) By April 1, 2016, the State Board of Elections shall
11establish and maintain a portal for government agency
12registration that permits an eligible person to electronically
13apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing
14voter registration whenever he or she conducts business, either
15online or in person, with a designated government agency. The
16portal shall interface with the online voter registration
17system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code and shall be
18capable of receiving and processing voter registration
19application information, including electronic signatures, from
20a designated government agency. The State Board of Elections
21shall modify the online voter registration system as necessary
22to implement this Section.
23    Voter registration data received from a designated

 

 

HB4208- 2 -LRB099 12124 MGM 34822 b

1government agency through the online registration system shall
2be processed as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.
3    Whenever the registration interface is accessible to the
4general public, including, but not limited to, online
5transactions, the interface shall allow the applicant to
6complete the process as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this
7Code. The online interface shall be capable of providing the
8applicant with the applicant's voter registration status with
9the State Board of Elections and, if registered, the
10applicant's current registration address. The applicant shall
11not be required to re-enter any registration data, such as
12name, address, and birth date, if the designated government
13agency already has that information on file. The applicant
14shall be informed that by choosing to register to vote or to
15update his or her existing voter registration, the applicant
16consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal
17information to the State Board of Elections.
18    Whenever a government employee is accessing the
19registration system while servicing the applicant, the
20government employee shall notify the applicant of the
21applicant's registration status with the State Board of
22Elections and, if registered, the applicant's current
23registration address. Unless the applicant elects not If the
24applicant elects to register to vote or to update his or her
25existing voter registration, the government employee shall
26collect the needed information and assist the applicant with

 

 

HB4208- 3 -LRB099 12124 MGM 34822 b

1his or her registration. The applicant shall be informed that
2unless he or she indicates otherwise by choosing to register to
3vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the
4applicant consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal
5information to the State Board of Elections. Employees of
6designated government agencies must inform the applicant of his
7or her right to opt out of this voter registration. Employees
8must inform the applicant that if he or she is not a citizen of
9the United States, he or she must opt out. Applicants opting
10out of the automatic voter registration shall not be required
11to disclose whether he or she is a citizen of the United States
12or his or her reason for opting out.
13    In accordance with technical specifications provided by
14the State Board of Elections, each designated government agency
15shall maintain a data transfer mechanism capable of
16transmitting voter registration application information,
17including electronic signatures where available, to the online
18voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of
19this Code. Each designated government agency shall establish
20and operate a voter registration system capable of transmitting
21voter registration application information to the portal as
22described in this Section by July 1, 2016.
23    (b) Whenever an applicant's data is transferred from a
24designated government agency, the agency must transmit a
25signature image if available. If no signature image was
26provided by the agency or if no signature image is available in

 

 

HB4208- 4 -LRB099 12124 MGM 34822 b

1the Secretary of State's database or the statewide voter
2registration database, the applicant must be notified that
3their registration will remain in a pending status and the
4applicant will be required to provide identification and a
5signature to the election authority on Election Day in the
6polling place or during early voting.
7    (c) The State Board of Elections shall track registration
8data received through the online registration system that
9originated from a designated government agency for the purposes
10of maintaining statistics required by the federal National
11Voter Registration Act of 1993, as amended.
12    (d) The State Board of Elections shall submit a report to
13the General Assembly and the Governor by December 1, 2015
14detailing the progress made to implement the government agency
15voter registration portal described in this Section.
16    (e) The Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the
17impacted agencies.
18    (f) As used in this Section, a "designated government
19agency" means the Secretary of State's Driver Services and
20Vehicle Services Departments, the Department of Human
21Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the
22Department of Employment Security, and the Department on Aging.
23(Source: P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)