97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB2206

 

Introduced 2/15/2011, by Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/7-61  from Ch. 46, par. 7-61

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that a vacancy in nomination may be filled by resolution if no candidate's name was printed on the primary ballot and no person is nominated as a write-in candidate. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2206LRB097 10375 HLH 50589 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
57-61 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/7-61)  (from Ch. 46, par. 7-61)
7    Sec. 7-61. Whenever a special election is necessary the
8provisions of this Article are applicable to the nomination of
9candidates to be voted for at such special election.
10    In cases where a primary election is required the officer
11or board or commission whose duty it is under the provisions of
12this Act relating to general elections to call an election,
13shall fix a date for the primary for the nomination of
14candidates to be voted for at such special election. Notice of
15such primary shall be given at least 15 days prior to the
16maximum time provided for the filing of petitions for such a
17primary as provided in Section 7-12.
18    Any vacancy in nomination under the provisions of this
19Article 7 occurring on or after the primary and prior to
20certification of candidates by the certifying board or officer,
21must be filled prior to the date of certification. Any vacancy
22in nomination occurring after certification but prior to 15
23days before the general election shall be filled within 8 days

 

 

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1after the event creating the vacancy. The resolution filling
2the vacancy shall be sent by U. S. mail or personal delivery to
3the certifying officer or board within 3 days of the action by
4which the vacancy was filled; provided, if such resolution is
5sent by mail and the U. S. postmark on the envelope containing
6such resolution is dated prior to the expiration of such 3 day
7limit, the resolution shall be deemed filed within such 3 day
8limit. Failure to so transmit the resolution within the time
9specified in this Section shall authorize the certifying
10officer or board to certify the original candidate. Vacancies
11shall be filled by the officers of a local municipal or
12township political party as specified in subsection (h) of
13Section 7-8, other than a statewide political party, that is
14established only within a municipality or township and the
15managing committee (or legislative committee in case of a
16candidate for State Senator or representative committee in the
17case of a candidate for State Representative in the General
18Assembly or State central committee in the case of a candidate
19for statewide office, including but not limited to the office
20of United States Senator) of the respective political party for
21the territorial area in which such vacancy occurs.
22    The resolution to fill a vacancy in nomination shall be
23duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to take
24acknowledgements of deeds and shall include, upon its face, the
25following information:
26    (a) the name of the original nominee and the office

 

 

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1vacated;
2    (b) the date on which the vacancy occurred;
3    (c) the name and address of the nominee selected to fill
4the vacancy and the date of selection.
5    The resolution to fill a vacancy in nomination shall be
6accompanied by a Statement of Candidacy, as prescribed in
7Section 7-10, completed by the selected nominee and a receipt
8indicating that such nominee has filed a statement of economic
9interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act.
10    The provisions of Section 10-8 through 10-10.1 relating to
11objections to certificates of nomination and nomination
12papers, hearings on objections, and judicial review, shall
13apply to and govern objections to resolutions for filling a
14vacancy in nomination.
15    Any vacancy in nomination occurring 15 days or less before
16the consolidated election or the general election shall not be
17filled. In this event, the certification of the original
18candidate shall stand and his name shall appear on the official
19ballot to be voted at the general election.
20    A vacancy in nomination occurs when a candidate who has
21been nominated under the provisions of this Article 7 dies
22before the election (whether death occurs prior to, on or after
23the day of the primary), or declines the nomination; provided
24that nominations may become vacant for other reasons.
25    If the name of no established political party candidate was
26printed on the consolidated primary ballot for a particular

 

 

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1office and if no person was nominated as a write-in candidate
2for such office, a vacancy in nomination shall be created which
3may be filled by resolution in accordance with the above
4requirements of this Section. If the name of no established
5political party candidate was printed on the general primary
6ballot for a particular office and if no person was nominated
7as a write-in candidate for such office, a vacancy in
8nomination shall be filled only by a person designated by the
9appropriate committee of the political party and only if that
10designated person files nominating petitions with the number of
11signatures required for an established party candidate for that
12office within 75 days after the day of the general primary;
13provided that a resolution designating such a person must be
14filed in accordance with the above requirements of this
15Section. The circulation period for those petitions begins on
16the day the appropriate committee designates that person by
17resolution. In addition to the initial filing of a resolution,
18the designated . The person shall thereafter file his or her
19nominating petitions, statements of candidacy, notice of
20appointment by the appropriate committee, and receipt of filing
21his or her statement of economic interests together. These
22documents shall be filed at the same location as provided in
23Section 7-12. The electoral boards having jurisdiction under
24Section 10-9 to hear and pass upon objections to nominating
25petitions also shall hear and pass upon objections to
26resolutions and nomination petitions filed by candidates under

 

 

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1this paragraph.
2    A candidate for whom a nomination paper has been filed as a
3partisan candidate at a primary election, and who is defeated
4for his or her nomination at such primary election, is
5ineligible to be listed on the ballot at that general or
6consolidated election as a candidate of another political
7party.
8    A candidate seeking election to an office for which
9candidates of political parties are nominated by caucus who is
10a participant in the caucus and who is defeated for his or her
11nomination at such caucus, is ineligible to be listed on the
12ballot at that general or consolidated election as a candidate
13of another political party.
14    In the proceedings to nominate a candidate to fill a
15vacancy or to fill a vacancy in the nomination, each precinct,
16township, ward, county or congressional district, as the case
17may be, shall through its representative on such central or
18managing committee, be entitled to one vote for each ballot
19voted in such precinct, township, ward, county or congressional
20district, as the case may be, by the primary electors of its
21party at the primary election immediately preceding the meeting
22at which such vacancy is to be filled.
23    For purposes of this Section, the words "certify" and
24"certification" shall refer to the act of officially declaring
25the names of candidates entitled to be printed upon the
26official ballot at an election and directing election

 

 

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1authorities to place the names of such candidates upon the
2official ballot. "Certifying officers or board" shall refer to
3the local election official, election authority or the State
4Board of Elections, as the case may be, with whom nomination
5papers, including certificates of nomination and resolutions
6to fill vacancies in nomination, are filed and whose duty it is
7to "certify" candidates.
8(Source: P.A. 96-809, eff. 1-1-10; 96-848, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
10becoming law.