101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB3207

 

Introduced 2/11/2020, by Sen. Bill Cunningham

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/19-2  from Ch. 46, par. 19-2
10 ILCS 5/19-2.5 new
10 ILCS 5/19-3  from Ch. 46, par. 19-3

    Amends the Election Code. Allows an elector to be added to a list of permanent vote by mail status voters who receive an official vote by mail ballot for all subsequent elections. Provides that voters whose application for permanent vote by mail status is accepted by the election authority shall remain on the permanent vote by mail list until the voter requests to be removed from permanent vote by mail status, the voter provides notice to the election authority of a change in registration, or the election authority receives confirmation that the voter has subsequently registered to vote in another county. Provides the notice to be sent by election authorities to all qualified voters before a general election for the option to be placed on the list of permanent vote by mail status voters. Provides the application form for permanent vote by mail status. Allows an election authority to combine the applications for single election vote by mail and permanent vote by mail status on one form. Makes conforming changes.


LRB101 18003 SMS 67441 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3207LRB101 18003 SMS 67441 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 19-2 and 19-3 and by adding Section 19-2.5 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/19-2)  (from Ch. 46, par. 19-2)
7    Sec. 19-2. Any elector as defined in Section 19-1 may by
8mail or electronically on the website of the appropriate
9election authority, not more than 90 nor less than 5 days prior
10to the date of such election, or by personal delivery not more
11than 90 nor less than one day prior to the date of such
12election, make application to the county clerk or to the Board
13of Election Commissioners for an official ballot for the
14voter's precinct to be voted at such election, or be added to a
15list of permanent vote by mail status voters who receive an
16official vote by mail ballot for subsequent elections. Voters
17who make an application for permanent vote by mail ballot
18status shall follow the procedures specified in Section 19-3.
19Voters whose application for permanent vote by mail status is
20accepted by the election authority shall remain on the
21permanent vote by mail list until the voter requests to be
22removed from permanent vote by mail status, the voter provides
23notice to the election authority of a change in registration,

 

 

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1or the election authority receives confirmation that the voter
2has subsequently registered to vote in another county. The URL
3address at which voters may electronically request a vote by
4mail ballot shall be fixed no later than 90 calendar days
5before an election and shall not be changed until after the
6election. Such a ballot shall be delivered to the elector only
7upon separate application by the elector for each election.
8(Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11; 98-115, eff. 7-29-13; 98-691,
9eff. 7-1-14; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
 
10    (10 ILCS 5/19-2.5 new)
11    Sec. 19-2.5. Notice for vote by mail ballot. An election
12authority shall notify all qualified voters, not more than 90
13days nor less than 45 days before a general election, of the
14option for permanent vote by mail status using the following
15notice and including the application for permanent vote by mail
16status in subsection (b) of Section 19-3:
17    "You may apply to permanently be placed on vote by mail
18status using the attached application.".
 
19    (10 ILCS 5/19-3)  (from Ch. 46, par. 19-3)
20    Sec. 19-3. Application for a vote by mail ballot.
21    (a) The application for a vote by mail ballot for a single
22election shall be substantially in the following form:
23
APPLICATION FOR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT
24    To be voted at the .... election in the County of .... and

 

 

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1State of Illinois, in the .... precinct of the (1) *township of
2.... (2) *City of .... or (3) *.... ward in the City of ....
3    I state that I am a resident of the .... precinct of the
4(1) *township of .... (2) *City of .... or (3) *.... ward in
5the city of .... residing at .... in such city or town in the
6county of .... and State of Illinois; that I have lived at such
7address for .... month(s) last past; that I am lawfully
8entitled to vote in such precinct at the .... election to be
9held therein on ....; and that I wish to vote by vote by mail
10ballot.
11    I hereby make application for an official ballot or ballots
12to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I shall
13return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing the same
14prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the election
15or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than election day,
16for counting no later than during the period for counting
17provisional ballots, the last day of which is the 14th day
18following election day.
19    I understand that this application is made for an official
20vote by mail ballot or ballots to be voted by me at the
21election specified in this application and that I must submit a
22separate application for an official vote by mail ballot or
23ballots to be voted by me at any subsequent election.
24    Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Section
2529-10 of the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
26statements set forth in this application are true and correct.

 

 

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1
....
2
*fill in either (1), (2) or (3).
3
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
4...............
5    (b) The application for permanent vote by mail status shall
6be substantially in the following form:
7
APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT VOTE BY MAIL STATUS
8    I am currently a registered voter and wish to apply for
9permanent vote by mail status.
10    I state that I am a resident of the City of .... residing
11at .... in such city in the county of .... and State of
12Illinois; that I have lived at such address for .... month(s)
13last past; that I am lawfully entitled to vote in such precinct
14at the .... election to be held therein on ....; and that I
15wish to vote by vote by mail ballot in:
16    ..... all subsequent elections that do not require a party
17        designation.
18    ..... all subsequent elections, and I wish to receive a
19        ................... Party vote by mail ballot in
20        elections that require a party designation.
21    I hereby make application for an official ballot or ballots
22to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I shall
23return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing the same
24prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the election
25or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than election day,
26for counting no later than during the period for counting

 

 

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1provisional ballots, the last day of which is the 14th day
2following election day.
3    Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Section
429-10 of the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
5statements set forth in this application are true and correct.
6
....
7
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
8.............................................................
9    (c) However, if application is made for a primary election
10ballot, such application shall require the applicant to
11designate the name of the political party with which the
12applicant is affiliated. The election authority shall allow any
13voter on permanent vote by mail status to change his or her
14party affiliation for a primary election ballot by a method and
15deadline published and selected by the election authority.
16    (d) If application is made electronically, the applicant
17shall mark the box associated with the above described
18statement included as part of the online application certifying
19that the statements set forth in the this application under
20subsection (a) or (b) are true and correct, and a signature is
21not required.
22    (e) Any person may produce, reproduce, distribute, or
23return to an election authority an the application under this
24Section for vote by mail ballot. If applications are sent to a
25post office box controlled by any individual or organization
26that is not an election authority, those applications shall (i)

 

 

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1include a valid and current phone number for the individual or
2organization controlling the post office box and (ii) be turned
3over to the appropriate election authority within 7 days of
4receipt or, if received within 2 weeks of the election in which
5an applicant intends to vote, within 2 days of receipt. Failure
6to turn over the applications in compliance with this paragraph
7shall constitute a violation of this Code and shall be
8punishable as a petty offense with a fine of $100 per
9application. Removing, tampering with, or otherwise knowingly
10making the postmark on the application unreadable by the
11election authority shall establish a rebuttable presumption of
12a violation of this paragraph. Upon receipt, the appropriate
13election authority shall accept and promptly process any
14application under this Section for vote by mail ballot
15submitted in a form substantially similar to that required by
16this Section, including any substantially similar production
17or reproduction generated by the applicant.
18    (f) An election authority may combine the applications in
19subsections (a) and (b) onto one form, but the distinction
20between the applications must be clear and the form must
21provide check boxes for an applicant to indicate whether he or
22she is applying for a single election vote by mail ballot or
23for permanent vote by mail status.
24(Source: P.A. 99-522, eff. 6-30-16; 100-623, eff. 7-20-18.)