Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4527

LRB104 16961 SPS 30375 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4527

Introduced 1/30/2026, by Rep. Maurice A. West, II

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/1A-70 new

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall adopt rules setting forth standardized reporting protocols for election data. Provides that, no later than July 1, 2027, the State Board of Elections shall publish guidelines for compliance with standardization conventions for data fields related to election districts, precincts, polling places, and other election data. Provides for periodic audits of the election data subject to the standardized reporting protocols. Provides that, beginning with the 2028 general primary election, no less than 75 days before each election, every election authority shall ensure that all data reported by the election authority conforms to the data standardization requirements adopted by the Board.

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 adding Section 1A-70 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/1A-70 new)

Sec. 1A-70. Data standardization.

(a) To streamline the reporting of election results and voter file data, the State Board of Elections shall adopt rules setting forth standardized reporting protocols for election data. The rules shall provide for relevant election data points to have a standard identification, a human-readable name, or both. The rules shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) standardization conventions for data fields related to election districts, precincts, polling places, and other election data; and

(2) any other requirement that, in the discretion of the State Board of Elections, facilitates efficient interfacing with the statewide voter registration list maintained under Section 1A-25 or the reporting and dissemination of election data as required by law.

(b) No later than July 1, 2027, the State Board of Elections shall publish guidelines for compliance with standardization conventions for data fields related to election districts, precincts, polling places, and other election data.

(c) Each election authority shall use the standardized reporting conventions and protocols adopted under this Section.

(d) No later than October 1, 2027 and October 1 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, the staff of the State Board of Elections shall complete an audit of the data subject to the standardized reporting protocols adopted under this Section and shall verify that the data submissions conform to the standardization requirements. The staff of the State Board of Elections, as part of the audit conducted under this subsection, shall advise the election authority of any needed corrections to the content, formatting, or mode of submission of the data as soon as practicable.

(e) Beginning with the 2028 general primary election, no less than 75 days before each election, every election authority shall ensure that all data reported by the election authority that is related to election districts, election precincts, and polling places and is otherwise identified under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) conforms to the guidelines published under subsection (b).

(f) If the data standardization requirements of this Section regulating the formatting of data related to election districts, precincts, and polling places conflict with any specific provision of this Code, the requirements of this Section prevail.