96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB0499

 

Introduced 2/4/2009, by Rep. Keith Farnham

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/20-1   from Ch. 46, par. 20-1

    Amends the Election Code. Specifies that the spouse or dependent of a member of the armed forces or merchant marine, residing with or accompanying the member, need not have resided in Illinois in order to vote a military or overseas absentee ballot.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section
5 20-1 as follows:
 
6     (10 ILCS 5/20-1)  (from Ch. 46, par. 20-1)
7     Sec. 20-1. The following words and phrases contained in
8 this Article shall be construed as follows:
9     1. "Territorial limits of the United States" means each of
10 the several States of the United States and includes the
11 District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam and
12 the Virgin Islands; but does not include American Samoa, the
13 Canal Zone, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or any
14 other territory or possession of the United States.
15     2. "Member of the United States Service" means (a) members
16 of the Armed Forces while on active duty and their spouses and
17 dependents of voting age when residing with or accompanying
18 them, (b) members of the Merchant Marine of the United States
19 and their spouses and dependents when residing with or
20 accompanying them and (c) United States government employees
21 serving outside the territorial limits of the United States.
22 For the purposes of this definition, nothing in this Code shall
23 be construed to require that the spouse or voting age dependent

 

 

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1 of a member of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine must have
2 ever resided in Illinois.
3     3. "Citizens of the United States temporarily residing
4 outside the territorial limits of the United States" means
5 civilian citizens of the United States and their spouses and
6 dependents of voting age when residing with or accompanying
7 them, who maintain a precinct residence in a county in this
8 State and whose intent to return may be ascertained.
9     4. "Non-Resident Civilian Citizens" means civilian
10 citizens of the United States (a) who reside outside the
11 territorial limits of the United States, (b) who had maintained
12 a precinct residence in a county in this State immediately
13 prior to their departure from the United States, (c) who do not
14 maintain a residence and are not registered to vote in any
15 other State, and (d) whose intent to return to this State may
16 be uncertain.
17     5. "Official postcard" means the postcard application for
18 registration to vote or for an absentee ballot in the form
19 provided in Section 204(c) of the Federal Voting Rights Act of
20 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1973cc-14(c)).
21     6. "Federal office" means the offices of President and
22 Vice-President of the United States, United States Senator,
23 Representative in Congress, delegates and alternate delegates
24 to the national nominating conventions and candidates for the
25 Presidential Preference Primary.
26     7. "Federal election" means any general, primary or special

 

 

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1 election at which candidates are nominated or elected to
2 Federal office.
3     8. "Dependent", for purposes of this Article, shall mean a
4 father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter.
5 (Source: P.A. 81-953.)