HB0499 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 04892 JAM 14958 b

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.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section 20-1 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/20-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 20-1)

Sec. 20-1. The following words and phrases contained in this Article shall be construed as follows:

1. "Territorial limits of the United States" means each of the several States of the United States and includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands; but does not include American Samoa, the Canal Zone, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or any other territory or possession of the United States.

2. "Member of the United States Service" means (a) members of the Armed Forces while on active duty and their spouses and dependents of voting age when residing with or accompanying them, (b) members of the Merchant Marine of the United States and their spouses and dependents when residing with or accompanying them and (c) United States government employees serving outside the territorial limits of the United States. For the purposes of this definition, nothing in this Code shall be construed to require that the spouse or voting age dependent of a member of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine must have ever resided in Illinois.

3. "Citizens of the United States temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the United States" means civilian citizens of the United States and their spouses and dependents of voting age when residing with or accompanying them, who maintain a precinct residence in a county in this State and whose intent to return may be ascertained.

4. "Non-Resident Civilian Citizens" means civilian citizens of the United States (a) who reside outside the territorial limits of the United States, (b) who had maintained a precinct residence in a county in this State immediately prior to their departure from the United States, (c) who do not maintain a residence and are not registered to vote in any other State, and (d) whose intent to return to this State may be uncertain.

5. "Official postcard" means the postcard application for registration to vote or for an absentee ballot in the form provided in Section 204(c) of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1973cc-14(c)).

6. "Federal office" means the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States, United States Senator, Representative in Congress, delegates and alternate delegates to the national nominating conventions and candidates for the Presidential Preference Primary.

7. "Federal election" means any general, primary or special election at which candidates are nominated or elected to Federal office.

8. "Dependent", for purposes of this Article, shall mean a father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter.

(Source: P.A. 81-953.)