10 ILCS 5/ Election Code.

(10 ILCS 5/19-13) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-13)

Sec. 19-13. Any qualified voter who has been admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center due to an illness or physical injury not more than 14 days before an election shall be entitled to personal delivery of an absentee ballot in the hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center subject to the following conditions:

(1) The voter completes the Application for Physically Incapacitated Elector as provided in Section 19-3, stating as reasons therein that he is a patient in ............... (name of hospital/home/center), ............... located at, ............... (address of hospital/home/center), ............... (county, city/village), was admitted for ............... (nature of illness or physical injury), on ............... (date of admission), and does not expect to be released from the hospital/home/center on or before the day of election or, if released, is expected to be homebound on the day of the election and unable to travel to the polling place.

(2) The voter's physician completes a Certificate of Attending Physician in a form substantially as follows: CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDING PHYSICIAN I state that I am a physician, duly licensed to practice in the State of .........; that .......... is a patient in .......... (name of hospital/home/center), located at ............. (address of hospital/home/center), ................. (county, city/village); that such individual was admitted for ............. (nature of illness or physical injury), on ............ (date of admission); and that I have examined such individual in the State in which I am licensed to practice medicine and do not expect such individual to be released from the hospital/home/center on or before the day of election or, if released, to be able to travel to the polling place on election day.

Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Section 29-10 of The Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the statements set forth in this certification are true and correct. (Signature) ............... (Date licensed) ............ (3) Any person who is registered to vote in the same precinct as the admitted voter or any legal relative of the admitted voter may present such voter's absentee ballot application, completed as prescribed in paragraph 1, accompanied by the physician's certificate, completed as prescribed in paragraph 2, to the election authority. Such precinct voter or relative shall execute and sign an affidavit furnished by the election authority attesting that he is a registered voter in the same precinct as the admitted voter or that he is a legal relative of the admitted voter and stating the nature of the relationship. Such precinct voter or relative shall further attest that he has been authorized by the admitted voter to obtain his absentee ballot from the election authority and deliver such ballot to him in the hospital, home, or center.

Upon receipt of the admitted voter's application, physician's certificate, and the affidavit of the precinct voter or the relative, the election authority shall examine the registration records to determine if the applicant is qualified to vote and, if found to be qualified, shall provide the precinct voter or the relative the absentee ballot for delivery to the applicant.

Upon receipt of the absentee ballot, the admitted voter shall mark the ballot in secret and subscribe to the certifications on the absentee ballot return envelope. After depositing the ballot in the return envelope and securely sealing the envelope, such voter shall give the envelope to the precinct voter or the relative who shall deliver it to the election authority in sufficient time for the ballot to be delivered by the election authority to the election authority's central ballot counting location before 7 p.m. on election day.

Upon receipt of the admitted voter's absentee ballot, the ballot shall be counted in the manner prescribed in this Article.

(Source: P.A. 94-18, eff. 6-14-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06; 95-878, eff. 1-1-09.)

(10 ILCS 5/19-14) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-14)

Sec. 19-14. The foregoing sections of this article shall be deemed to provide a method of voting in addition to the method otherwise provided in this Act.

(Source: Laws 1943, vol. 2, p. 1.)

(10 ILCS 5/19-15)

Sec. 19-15. Precinct tabulation optical scan technology voting equipment. If the election authority has adopted the use of Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology voting equipment pursuant to Article 24B of this Code, and the provisions of the Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19, the provisions of Article 24B shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of elections, and all employees and agents, provided that absentee ballots are counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location. In following the provisions of Article 24B, the election authority is authorized to develop and implement procedures to fully utilize Precinct Tabulation Optical Scan Technology voting equipment, at the central ballot counting location, authorized by the State Board of Elections as long as the procedure is not in conflict with either Article 24B or the administrative rules of the State Board of Elections.

(Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)

(10 ILCS 5/19-20)

Sec. 19-20. Report on absentee ballots. This Section applies to absentee ballots other than in-person absentee ballots.

On or before the 21st day after an election, each election authority shall transmit to the State Board of Elections the following information with respect to that election:

(1) The number, by precinct, of absentee ballots requested, provided, and counted.

(2) The number of rejected absentee ballots.

(3) The number of voters seeking review of rejected absentee ballots pursuant to subsection (g-5) of Section 19-8.

(4) The number of absentee ballots counted following review pursuant to subsection (g-5) of Section 19-8.

On or before the 28th day after an election, the State Board of Elections shall compile the information received under this Section with respect to that election and make that information available to the public.

(Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)

(10 ILCS 5/Art. 19A heading) ARTICLE 19A. EARLY VOTING BY PERSONAL APPEARANCE (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-5)

Sec. 19A-5. Issuance of ballots; voting booths.

(a) If a request is made to vote early by a registered voter in person, the election authority shall issue a ballot for early voting to the voter. The ballot must be voted on the premises of the election authority, except as otherwise provided in this Article, and returned to the election authority.

(b) On the dates for early voting prescribed in Section 19A-15, each election authority shall provide voting booths, with suitable equipment for voting, on the premises of the election authority and any other early voting polling place for use by registered voters who are issued ballots for early voting in accordance with this Article.

(c) The election authority must maintain a list for each election of the voters to whom it has issued early ballots. The list must be maintained for each precinct within the election authority's jurisdiction. Before the opening of the polls on election day, the election authority shall deliver to the judges of election in each precinct the list of registered voters who have voted by early ballot.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-10)

Sec. 19A-10. Permanent polling places for early voting.

(a) An election authority may establish permanent polling places for early voting by personal appearance at locations throughout the election authority's jurisdiction, including but not limited to a municipal clerk's office, a township clerk's office, a road district clerk's office, or a county or local public agency office. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), any person entitled to vote early by personal appearance may do so at any polling place established for early voting.

(b) If it is impractical for the election authority to provide at each polling place for early voting a ballot in every form required in the election authority's jurisdiction, the election authority may:

(1) provide appropriate forms of ballots to the office of the municipal clerk in a municipality not having a board of election commissioners; the township clerk; or in counties not under township organization, the road district clerk; and

(2) limit voting at that polling place to registered voters in that municipality, ward or group of wards, township, or road district.

If the early voting polling place does not have the correct ballot form for a person seeking to vote early, the election judge or election official conducting early voting at that polling place shall inform the person of that fact, give the person the appropriate telephone number of the election authority in order to locate an early voting polling place with the correct ballot form for use in that person's assigned precinct, and instruct the person to go to the proper early voting polling place to vote early.

(c) During each general primary and general election, each election authority in a county with a population over 250,000 shall establish at least one polling place for early voting by personal appearance at a location within each of the 3 largest municipalities within its jurisdiction. If any of the 3 largest municipalities is over 80,000, the election authority shall establish at least 2 polling places within the municipality. All population figures shall be determined by the federal census.

During each general primary and general election, each board of election commissioners established under Article 6 of this Code in any city, village, or incorporated town with a population over 100,000 shall establish at least 2 polling places for early voting by personal appearance. All population figures shall be determined by the federal census.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-10.5)

Sec. 19A-10.5. Child sex offenders. If an election authority designates one or more permanent early voting polling places under this Article, the election authority must designate at least one permanent early voting polling place that a qualified elector who is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 may enter without violating Section 11-9.3 of that Code.

If an election authority designates one or more temporary early voting polling places under this Article, the election authority must designate at least one temporary early voting polling place that a qualified elector who is a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 may enter without violating Section 11-9.3 of that Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-15)

Sec. 19A-15. Period for early voting; hours.

(a) The period for early voting by personal appearance begins the 15th day preceding a general primary, consolidated primary, consolidated, or general election and extends through the 3rd day before election day.

(b) A permanent polling place for early voting must remain open during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; except that, in addition to the hours required by this subsection, a permanent early voting polling place designated by an election authority under subsection (c) of Section 19A-10 must remain open for a total of at least 8 hours on any holiday during the early voting period and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend during the early voting period.

(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), an election authority may close an early voting polling place if the building in which the polling place is located has been closed by the State or unit of local government in response to a severe weather emergency. In the event of a closure, the election authority shall conduct early voting on the 2nd day before election day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The election authority shall notify the State Board of Elections of any closure and shall make reasonable efforts to provide notice to the public of the extended early voting period.

(d) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), in 2013 only, an election authority may close an early voting place on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, provided that the early voting place remains open 2 hours later on April 3, 4, and 5 of 2013. The election authority shall notify the State Board of Elections of any closure and shall provide notice to the public of the closure and the extended hours during the final week.

(Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11; 97-766, eff. 7-6-12; 98-4, eff. 3-12-13.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-20)

Sec. 19A-20. Temporary branch polling places.

(a) In addition to permanent polling places for early voting, the election authority may establish temporary branch polling places for early voting.

(b) The provisions of subsection (b) of Section 19A-15 do not apply to a temporary polling place. Voting at a temporary branch polling place may be conducted on any one or more days and during any hours within the period for early voting by personal appearance that are determined by the election authority.

(c) The schedules for conducting voting do not need to be uniform among the temporary branch polling places.

(d) The legal rights and remedies which inure to the owner or lessor of private property are not impaired or otherwise affected by the leasing of the property for use as a temporary branch polling place for early voting, except to the extent necessary to conduct early voting at that location.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-21)

Sec. 19A-21. Use of local public buildings for early voting polling places. Upon request by an election authority, a unit of local government (as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, which does not include school districts) shall make the unit's public buildings within the election authority's jurisdiction available as permanent or temporary early voting polling places without charge. Availability of a building shall include reasonably necessary time before and after the period early voting is conducted at that building.

A unit of local government making its public building available as a permanent or temporary early voting polling place shall ensure that any portion of the building made available is accessible to handicapped and elderly voters.

(Source: P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-25)

Sec. 19A-25. Schedule of locations and times for early voting.

(a) The election authority shall publish during the week before the period for early voting and at least once each week during the period for early voting in a newspaper of general circulation in the election authority's jurisdiction a schedule stating:

(1) the location of each permanent and temporary polling place for early voting and the precincts served by each location; and

(2) the dates and hours that early voting will be conducted at each location.

(b) The election authority shall post a copy of the schedule at any office or other location that is to be used as a polling place for early voting. The schedule must be posted continuously for a period beginning not later than the 5th day before the first day of the period for early voting by personal appearance and ending on the last day of that period.

(c) The election authority must make copies of the schedule available to the public in reasonable quantities without charge during the period of posting.

(d) If the election authority maintains a website, it shall make the schedule available on its website.

(e) No additional polling places for early voting may be established after the schedule is published under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-25.5)

Sec. 19A-25.5. Voting machines, automatic tabulating equipment, and precinct tabulation optical scan technology voting equipment.

(a) In all jurisdictions in which voting machines are used, the provisions of this Code that are not inconsistent with this Article relating to the furnishing of ballot boxes, printing and furnishing ballots and supplies, the canvassing of ballots, and the making of returns, apply with full force and effect to the extent necessary to make this Article effective, provided that the number of ballots to be printed shall be in the discretion of the election authority, and provided further that early ballots shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.

(b) If the election authority has adopted the use of automatic tabulating equipment under Article 24A of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, the provisions of Article 24A shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.

(c) If the election authority has adopted the use of tabulation optical scan technology voting equipment under Article 24B of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, the provisions of Article 24B shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.

(d) If the election authority has adopted the use of Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems under Article 24C of this Code, and the provisions of that Article are in conflict with the provisions of this Article 19A, the provisions of Article 24C shall govern the procedures followed by the election authority, its judges of election, and all employees and agents; provided that early ballots shall be counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be counted until after the polls are closed on election day.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-30)

Sec. 19A-30. Persons conducting early voting.

(a) The election authority (i) must use election judges to conduct early voting at an early voting polling place or (ii) must appoint an employee or, if appropriate, designate a municipal clerk, township clerk, or road district clerk to serve as the election official in charge of a polling place for early voting.

(b) If the election authority uses an employee or designates a municipal, township, or road district clerk under subsection (a), then the election authority may also appoint as many additional election officials as it deems necessary for the proper conduct of the election.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-35)

Sec. 19A-35. Procedure for voting.

(a) Not more than 23 days before the start of the election, the county clerk shall make available to the election official conducting early voting by personal appearance a sufficient number of early ballots, envelopes, and printed voting instruction slips for the use of early voters. The election official shall receipt for all ballots received and shall return unused or spoiled ballots at the close of the early voting period to the county clerk and must strictly account for all ballots received. The ballots delivered to the election official must include early ballots for each precinct in the election authority's jurisdiction and must include separate ballots for each political subdivision conducting an election of officers or a referendum at that election.

(b) In conducting early voting under this Article, the election judge or official is required to verify the signature of the early voter by comparison with the signature on the official registration card, and the judge or official must verify (i) the identity of the applicant, (ii) that the applicant is a registered voter, (iii) the precinct in which the applicant is registered, and (iv) the proper ballots of the political subdivision in which the applicant resides and is entitled to vote before providing an early ballot to the applicant. The applicant's identity must be verified by the applicant's presentation of an Illinois driver's license, a non-driver identification card issued by the Illinois Secretary of State, a photo identification card issued by a university or college, or another government-issued identification document containing the applicant's photograph. The election judge or official must verify the applicant's registration from the most recent poll list provided by the election authority, and if the applicant is not listed on that poll list, by telephoning the office of the election authority.

(b-5) A person requesting an early voting ballot to whom an absentee ballot was issued may vote early if the person submits that absentee ballot to the judges of election or official conducting early voting for cancellation. If the voter is unable to submit the absentee ballot, it shall be sufficient for the voter to submit to the judges or official (i) a portion of the absentee ballot if the absentee ballot was torn or mutilated or (ii) an affidavit executed before the judges or official specifying that (A) the voter never received an absentee ballot or (B) the voter completed and returned an absentee ballot and was informed that the election authority did not receive that absentee ballot.

(b-10) Within one day after a voter casts an early voting ballot, the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and that information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees.

(b-15) Immediately after voting an early ballot, the voter shall be instructed whether the voting equipment accepted or rejected the ballot or identified that ballot as under-voted for a statewide constitutional office. A voter whose ballot is identified as under-voted may return to the voting booth and complete the voting of that ballot. A voter whose early voting ballot is not accepted by the voting equipment may, upon surrendering the ballot, request and vote another early voting ballot. The voter's surrendered ballot shall be initialed by the election judge or official conducting the early voting and handled as provided in the appropriate Article governing the voting equipment used.

(c) The sealed early ballots in their carrier envelope shall be delivered by the election authority to the central ballot counting location before the close of the polls on the day of the election.

(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07; 96-317, eff. 1-1-10.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-40)

Sec. 19A-40. Enclosure of ballots in envelope. It is the duty of the election judge or official to fold the ballot or ballots in the manner specified by the statute for folding ballots prior to their deposit in the ballot box, and to enclose the ballot or ballots in an envelope unsealed to be furnished by him or her, which envelope shall bear upon the face thereof the name, official title, and post office address of the election authority, and upon the other side a printed certification in substantially the following form:

I state that I am a resident of the .... precinct of the (1) *township of .... (2) *City of .... or (3) *.... ward in the city of .... residing at .... in that city or town in the county of .... and State of Illinois, that I have lived at that address for .... months last past; that I am lawfully entitled to vote in that precinct at the .... election to be held on .... .

*fill in either (1), (2) or (3).

I further state that I personally marked the enclosed ballot in secret.

Under penalties of perjury as provided by law pursuant to Section 29-10 of the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the statements set forth in this certification are true and correct. ....................... If the ballot enclosed is to be voted at a primary election, the certification shall designate the name of the political party with which the voter is affiliated.

In addition to the above, the election authority shall provide printed slips giving full instructions regarding the manner of marking and returning the ballot in order that the same may be counted, and shall furnish one of the printed slips to each of such applicants at the same time the ballot is delivered to him or her. The instructions shall include the following statement: "In signing the certification on the early ballot envelope, you are attesting that you personally marked this early ballot in secret. If you are physically unable to mark the ballot, a friend or relative may assist you. Federal and State laws prohibit your employer, your employer's agent, or an officer or agent of your union from assisting physically disabled voters."

In addition to the above, if a ballot to be provided to a voter pursuant to this Section contains a public question described in subsection (b) of Section 28-6 and the territory concerning which the question is to be submitted is not described on the ballot due to the space limitations of the ballot, the election authority shall provide a printed copy of a notice of the public question, which shall include a description of the territory in the manner required by Section 16-7. The notice shall be furnished to the voter at the same time the ballot is delivered to the voter.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-45)

Sec. 19A-45. Certification. The voter shall make and subscribe the certification provided for on the return envelope of the ballot, and the ballot or ballots shall be folded by the voter in the manner required to be folded before depositing the ballot in the ballot box, and shall be deposited in the envelope and the envelope securely sealed. The voter shall then endorse his or her certificate on the back of the envelope and the envelope shall be returned to the election judge or official conducting the early voting.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-50)

Sec. 19A-50. Receipt of ballots. Upon receipt of the voter's ballot, the election judge or official shall enclose the unopened ballot in a large or carrier envelope that shall be securely sealed and endorsed with the name and official title of the election judge or official and the words, "This envelope contains a ballot and must be opened on election day", together with the number and description of the precinct in which the ballot is to be voted, and the election authority shall safely keep the envelope in its office until delivered to the central ballot counting location. The ballots determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which the ballots were opened.

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)

(10 ILCS 5/19A-55)

Sec. 19A-55. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05. Repealed by P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)