101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB0194

 

Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
65 ILCS 20/21-24.5 new

    Amends the Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Establishes a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago. Effective immediately.


LRB101 04794 AWJ 49803 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0194LRB101 04794 AWJ 49803 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941 is
5amended by adding Section 21-24.5 as follows:
 
6    (65 ILCS 20/21-24.5 new)
7    Sec. 21-24.5. Recall election; Mayor of Chicago.
8    (a) The recall of the Mayor of Chicago may be proposed by a
9petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at
10least 15% of the total votes cast for Mayor in the preceding
11election, with at least 50 signatures from each ward. A
12petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not
13more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with the
14board of election commissioners providing notice of intent to
15circulate a petition to recall the Mayor. The affidavit may be
16filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the
17Mayor's term of office. The affidavit shall have been signed by
18the proponent of the recall petition and at least 2 aldermen.
19    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
20for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
21shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
22sufficient, the board of election commissioners shall certify
23the petition not more than 100 days after the date the petition

 

 

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1was filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the
2office of Mayor?" must be submitted to the electors at a
3special recall election called by the board of election
4commissioners, to occur not more than 100 days after
5certification of the petition. A recall petition certified by
6the board of election commissioners may not be withdrawn and
7another recall petition may not be initiated against the Mayor
8during the remainder of the current term of office. Any recall
9petition or recall election pending on the date of the next
10election at which a candidate for Mayor is elected is void.
11    (c) If a petition to recall the Mayor has been filed with
12the board of election commissioners, a person eligible to serve
13as Mayor may propose his or her candidacy for the special
14successor primary election by a petition signed by at least
1512,500 legal voters of the city, signed not more than 50 days
16after a recall petition has been filed with the board of
17election commissioners. All such petitions, and procedure with
18respect thereto, shall conform in other respects to the
19provisions of the election and ballot laws then in force in the
20city of Chicago concerning the nomination of independent
21candidates for public office by petition. If the successor
22election petition is valid and sufficient, the board of
23election commissioners shall certify the petition not more than
24100 days after the date the petition to recall the Mayor was
25filed.
26    If the Mayor is removed by the special recall election, the

 

 

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1names of candidates for Mayor must be submitted to the electors
2at a special successor primary election called by the board of
3election commissioners to be held 60 days after the special
4recall election. If no candidate receives a majority of the
5votes in the special successor primary election, a special
6runoff election shall be held no later than 60 days after the
7special successor primary election, and only the names of the
8candidates receiving the highest and second highest number of
9votes at the special successor primary election shall appear on
10the ballot. If more than one candidate received the highest or
11second highest number of votes at the special successor primary
12election, the names of all candidates receiving the highest and
13second highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot at
14the special runoff election. The candidate receiving the
15highest number of votes at the special runoff election shall be
16declared elected.
17    (d) The Mayor is immediately removed upon certification of
18the special recall election results if a majority of the
19electors voting on the question vote to recall the Mayor. If
20the Mayor is removed, then (i) the Vice Mayor shall serve until
21the Mayor elected at the special successor primary election or
22special runoff election is qualified and (ii) the candidate who
23receives a majority of votes in the special primary election or
24the candidate who receives the highest number of votes in the
25special runoff election is elected Mayor for the balance of the
26term.
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2becoming law.