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91_HB0953enr
HB0953 Enrolled LRB9102871MWdv
1 AN ACT to amend the Election Code by changing Section
2 7-8.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
6 Section 7-8 as follows:
7 (10 ILCS 5/7-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-8)
8 Sec. 7-8. The State central committee shall be composed
9 of one or two members from each congressional district in the
10 State and shall be elected as follows:
11 State Central Committee
12 (a) Within 30 days after the effective date of this
13 amendatory Act of 1983 the State central committee of each
14 political party shall certify to the State Board of Elections
15 which of the following alternatives it wishes to apply to the
16 State central committee of that party.
17 Alternative A. At the primary held on the third Tuesday
18 in March 1970, and at the primary held every 4 years
19 thereafter, each primary elector may vote for one candidate
20 of his party for member of the State central committee for
21 the congressional district in which he resides. The
22 candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be
23 declared elected State central committeeman from the
24 district. A political party may, in lieu of the foregoing, by
25 a majority vote of delegates at any State convention of such
26 party, determine to thereafter elect the State central
27 committeemen in the manner following:
28 At the county convention held by such political party
29 State central committeemen shall be elected in the same
30 manner as provided in this Article for the election of
31 officers of the county central committee, and such election
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1 shall follow the election of officers of the county central
2 committee. Each elected ward, township or precinct
3 committeeman shall cast as his vote one vote for each ballot
4 voted in his ward, township, part of a township or precinct
5 in the last preceding primary election of his political
6 party. In the case of a county lying partially within one
7 congressional district and partially within another
8 congressional district, each ward, township or precinct
9 committeeman shall vote only with respect to the
10 congressional district in which his ward, township, part of a
11 township or precinct is located. In the case of a
12 congressional district which encompasses more than one
13 county, each ward, township or precinct committeeman residing
14 within the congressional district shall cast as his vote one
15 vote for each ballot voted in his ward, township, part of a
16 township or precinct in the last preceding primary election
17 of his political party for one candidate of his party for
18 member of the State central committee for the congressional
19 district in which he resides and the Chairman of the county
20 central committee shall report the results of the election to
21 the State Board of Elections. The State Board of Elections
22 shall certify the candidate receiving the highest number of
23 votes elected State central committeeman for that
24 congressional district.
25 The State central committee shall adopt rules to provide
26 for and govern the procedures to be followed in the election
27 of members of the State central committee.
28 After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
29 91st General Assembly, whenever a vacancy occurs in the
30 office of Chairman of a State central committee, or at the
31 end of the term of office of Chairman, the State central
32 committee of each political party that has selected
33 Alternative A shall elect a Chairman who shall not be
34 required to be a member of the State Central Committee. The
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1 Chairman shall be a registered voter in this State and of the
2 same political party as the State central committee.
3 Alternative B. Each congressional committee shall,
4 within 30 days after the adoption of this alternative,
5 appoint a person of the sex opposite that of the incumbent
6 member for that congressional district to serve as an
7 additional member of the State central committee until his or
8 her successor is elected at the general primary election in
9 1986. Each congressional committee shall make this
10 appointment by voting on the basis set forth in paragraph (e)
11 of this Section. In each congressional district at the
12 general primary election held in 1986 and every 4 years
13 thereafter, the male candidate receiving the highest number
14 of votes of the party's male candidates for State central
15 committeeman, and the female candidate receiving the highest
16 number of votes of the party's female candidates for State
17 central committeewoman, shall be declared elected State
18 central committeeman and State central committeewoman from
19 the district. At the general primary election held in 1986
20 and every 4 years thereafter, if all a party's candidates for
21 State central committeemen or State central committeewomen
22 from a congressional district are of the same sex, the
23 candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be
24 declared elected a State central committeeman or State
25 central committeewoman from the district, and, because of a
26 failure to elect one male and one female to the committee, a
27 vacancy shall be declared to exist in the office of the
28 second member of the State central committee from the
29 district. This vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the
30 congressional committee of the political party, and the
31 person appointed to fill the vacancy shall be a resident of
32 the congressional district and of the sex opposite that of
33 the committeeman or committeewoman elected at the general
34 primary election. Each congressional committee shall make
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1 this appointment by voting on the basis set forth in
2 paragraph (e) of this Section.
3 The Chairman of a State central committee composed as
4 provided in this Alternative B must be selected from the
5 committee's members.
6 Except as provided for in Alternative A with respect to
7 the selection of the Chairman of the State central committee,
8 under both of the foregoing alternatives, the State central
9 committee of each political party shall be composed of
10 members elected or appointed from the several congressional
11 districts of the State, and of no other person or persons
12 whomsoever. The members of the State central committee
13 shall, within 30 days after each quadrennial election of the
14 full committee, meet in the city of Springfield and organize
15 by electing from among their own number a chairman, and may
16 at such time elect such officers from among their own number
17 (or otherwise), as they may deem necessary or expedient. The
18 outgoing chairman of the State central committee of the party
19 shall, 10 days before the meeting, notify each member of the
20 State central committee elected at the primary of the time
21 and place of such meeting. In the organization and
22 proceedings of the State central committee, each State
23 central committeeman and State central committeewoman shall
24 have one vote for each ballot voted in his or her
25 congressional district by the primary electors of his or her
26 party at the primary election immediately preceding the
27 meeting of the State central committee. Whenever a vacancy
28 occurs in the State central committee of any political party,
29 the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the chairmen of
30 the county central committees of the political party of the
31 counties located within the congressional district in which
32 the vacancy occurs and, if applicable, the ward and township
33 committeemen of the political party in counties of 2,000,000
34 or more inhabitants located within the congressional
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1 district. If the congressional district in which the vacancy
2 occurs lies wholly within a county of 2,000,000 or more
3 inhabitants, the ward and township committeemen of the
4 political party in that congressional district shall vote to
5 fill the vacancy. In voting to fill the vacancy, each
6 chairman of a county central committee and each ward and
7 township committeeman in counties of 2,000,000 or more
8 inhabitants shall have one vote for each ballot voted in each
9 precinct of the congressional district in which the vacancy
10 exists of his or her county, township, or ward cast by the
11 primary electors of his or her party at the primary election
12 immediately preceding the meeting to fill the vacancy in the
13 State central committee. The person appointed to fill the
14 vacancy shall be a resident of the congressional district in
15 which the vacancy occurs, shall be a qualified voter, and, in
16 a committee composed as provided in Alternative B, shall be
17 of the same sex as his or her predecessor. A political party
18 may, by a majority vote of the delegates of any State
19 convention of such party, determine to return to the election
20 of State central committeeman and State central
21 committeewoman by the vote of primary electors. Any action
22 taken by a political party at a State convention in
23 accordance with this Section shall be reported to the State
24 Board of Elections by the chairman and secretary of such
25 convention within 10 days after such action.
26 Ward, Township and Precinct Committeemen
27 (b) At the primary held on the third Tuesday in March,
28 1972, and every 4 years thereafter, each primary elector in
29 cities having a population of 200,000 or over may vote for
30 one candidate of his party in his ward for ward committeeman.
31 Each candidate for ward committeeman must be a resident of
32 and in the ward where he seeks to be elected ward
33 committeeman. The one having the highest number of votes
34 shall be such ward committeeman of such party for such ward.
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1 At the primary election held on the third Tuesday in March,
2 1970, and every 4 years thereafter, each primary elector in
3 counties containing a population of 2,000,000 or more,
4 outside of cities containing a population of 200,000 or more,
5 may vote for one candidate of his party for township
6 committeeman. Each candidate for township committeeman must
7 be a resident of and in the township or part of a township
8 (which lies outside of a city having a population of 200,000
9 or more, in counties containing a population of 2,000,000 or
10 more), and in which township or part of a township he seeks
11 to be elected township committeeman. The one having the
12 highest number of votes shall be such township committeeman
13 of such party for such township or part of a township. At the
14 primary held on the third Tuesday in March, 1970 and every 2
15 years thereafter, each primary elector, except in counties
16 having a population of 2,000,000 or over, may vote for one
17 candidate of his party in his precinct for precinct
18 committeeman. Each candidate for precinct committeeman must
19 be a bona fide resident of the precinct where he seeks to be
20 elected precinct committeeman. The one having the highest
21 number of votes shall be such precinct committeeman of such
22 party for such precinct. The official returns of the primary
23 shall show the name of the committeeman of each political
24 party.
25 Terms of Committeemen. All precinct committeemen elected
26 under the provisions of this Article shall continue as such
27 committeemen until the date of the primary to be held in the
28 second year after their election. Except as otherwise
29 provided in this Section for certain State central
30 committeemen who have 2 year terms, all State central
31 committeemen, township committeemen and ward committeemen
32 shall continue as such committeemen until the date of primary
33 to be held in the fourth year after their election. However,
34 a vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeman when
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1 a precinct committeeman ceases to reside in the precinct in
2 which he was elected and such precinct committeeman shall
3 thereafter neither have nor exercise any rights, powers or
4 duties as committeeman in that precinct, even if a successor
5 has not been elected or appointed.
6 (c) The Multi-Township Central Committee shall consist
7 of the precinct committeemen of such party, in the
8 multi-township assessing district formed pursuant to Section
9 2-10 of the Property Tax Code and shall be organized for the
10 purposes set forth in Section 45-25 of the Township Code. In
11 the organization and proceedings of the Multi-Township
12 Central Committee each precinct committeeman shall have one
13 vote for each ballot voted in his precinct by the primary
14 electors of his party at the primary at which he was elected.
15 County Central Committee
16 (d) The county central committee of each political party
17 in each county shall consist of the various township
18 committeemen, precinct committeemen and ward committeemen, if
19 any, of such party in the county. In the organization and
20 proceedings of the county central committee, each precinct
21 committeeman shall have one vote for each ballot voted in his
22 precinct by the primary electors of his party at the primary
23 at which he was elected; each township committeeman shall
24 have one vote for each ballot voted in his township or part
25 of a township as the case may be by the primary electors of
26 his party at the primary election for the nomination of
27 candidates for election to the General Assembly immediately
28 preceding the meeting of the county central committee; and in
29 the organization and proceedings of the county central
30 committee, each ward committeeman shall have one vote for
31 each ballot voted in his ward by the primary electors of his
32 party at the primary election for the nomination of
33 candidates for election to the General Assembly immediately
34 preceding the meeting of the county central committee.
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1 Congressional Committee
2 (e) The congressional committee of each party in each
3 congressional district shall be composed of the chairmen of
4 the county central committees of the counties composing the
5 congressional district, except that in congressional
6 districts wholly within the territorial limits of one county,
7 or partly within 2 or more counties, but not coterminous with
8 the county lines of all of such counties, the precinct
9 committeemen, township committeemen and ward committeemen, if
10 any, of the party representing the precincts within the
11 limits of the congressional district, shall compose the
12 congressional committee. A State central committeeman in each
13 district shall be a member and the chairman or, when a
14 district has 2 State central committeemen, a co-chairman of
15 the congressional committee, but shall not have the right to
16 vote except in case of a tie.
17 In the organization and proceedings of congressional
18 committees composed of precinct committeemen or township
19 committeemen or ward committeemen, or any combination
20 thereof, each precinct committeeman shall have one vote for
21 each ballot voted in his precinct by the primary electors of
22 his party at the primary at which he was elected, each
23 township committeeman shall have one vote for each ballot
24 voted in his township or part of a township as the case may
25 be by the primary electors of his party at the primary
26 election immediately preceding the meeting of the
27 congressional committee, and each ward committeeman shall
28 have one vote for each ballot voted in each precinct of his
29 ward located in such congressional district by the primary
30 electors of his party at the primary election immediately
31 preceding the meeting of the congressional committee; and in
32 the organization and proceedings of congressional committees
33 composed of the chairmen of the county central committees of
34 the counties within such district, each chairman of such
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1 county central committee shall have one vote for each ballot
2 voted in his county by the primary electors of his party at
3 the primary election immediately preceding the meeting of the
4 congressional committee.
5 Judicial District Committee
6 (f) The judicial district committee of each political
7 party in each judicial district shall be composed of the
8 chairman of the county central committees of the counties
9 composing the judicial district.
10 In the organization and proceedings of judicial district
11 committees composed of the chairmen of the county central
12 committees of the counties within such district, each
13 chairman of such county central committee shall have one vote
14 for each ballot voted in his county by the primary electors
15 of his party at the primary election immediately preceding
16 the meeting of the judicial district committee.
17 Circuit Court Committee
18 (g) The circuit court committee of each political party
19 in each judicial circuit outside Cook County shall be
20 composed of the chairmen of the county central committees of
21 the counties composing the judicial circuit.
22 In the organization and proceedings of circuit court
23 committees, each chairman of a county central committee shall
24 have one vote for each ballot voted in his county by the
25 primary electors of his party at the primary election
26 immediately preceding the meeting of the circuit court
27 committee.
28 Judicial Subcircuit Committee
29 (g-1) The judicial subcircuit committee of each
30 political party in each judicial subcircuit in Cook County
31 shall be composed of the ward and township committeemen of
32 the townships and wards composing the judicial subcircuit.
33 In the organization and proceedings of each judicial
34 subcircuit committee, each township committeeman shall have
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1 one vote for each ballot voted in his township or part of a
2 township, as the case may be, in the judicial subcircuit by
3 the primary electors of his party at the primary election
4 immediately preceding the meeting of the judicial subcircuit
5 committee; and each ward committeeman shall have one vote for
6 each ballot voted in his ward or part of a ward, as the case
7 may be, in the judicial subcircuit by the primary electors of
8 his party at the primary election immediately preceding the
9 meeting of the judicial subcircuit committee.
10 Municipal Central Committee
11 (h) The municipal central committee of each political
12 party shall be composed of the precinct, township or ward
13 committeemen, as the case may be, of such party representing
14 the precincts or wards, embraced in such city, incorporated
15 town or village. The voting strength of each precinct,
16 township or ward committeeman on the municipal central
17 committee shall be the same as his voting strength on the
18 county central committee.
19 For political parties, other than a statewide political
20 party, established only within a municipality or township,
21 the municipal or township managing committee shall be
22 composed of the party officers of the local established
23 party. The party officers of a local established party shall
24 be as follows: the chairman and secretary of the caucus for
25 those municipalities and townships authorized by statute to
26 nominate candidates by caucus shall serve as party officers
27 for the purpose of filling vacancies in nomination under
28 Section 7-61; for municipalities and townships authorized by
29 statute or ordinance to nominate candidates by petition and
30 primary election, the party officers shall be the party's
31 candidates who are nominated at the primary. If no party
32 primary was held because of the provisions of Section 7-5,
33 vacancies in nomination shall be filled by the party's
34 remaining candidates who shall serve as the party's officers.
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1 Powers
2 (i) Each committee and its officers shall have the
3 powers usually exercised by such committees and by the
4 officers thereof, not inconsistent with the provisions of
5 this Article. The several committees herein provided for
6 shall not have power to delegate any of their powers, or
7 functions to any other person, officer or committee, but this
8 shall not be construed to prevent a committee from appointing
9 from its own membership proper and necessary subcommittees.
10 (j) The State central committee of a political party
11 which elects it members by Alternative B under paragraph (a)
12 of this Section shall adopt a plan to give effect to the
13 delegate selection rules of the national political party and
14 file a copy of such plan with the State Board of Elections
15 when approved by a national political party.
16 (k) For the purpose of the designation of a proxy by a
17 Congressional Committee to vote in place of an absent State
18 central committeeman or committeewoman at meetings of the
19 State central committee of a political party which elects its
20 members by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of this Section,
21 the proxy shall be appointed by the vote of the ward and
22 township committeemen, if any, of the wards and townships
23 which lie entirely or partially within the Congressional
24 District from which the absent State central committeeman or
25 committeewoman was elected and the vote of the chairmen of
26 the county central committees of those counties which lie
27 entirely or partially within that Congressional District and
28 in which there are no ward or township committeemen. When
29 voting for such proxy the county chairman, ward committeeman
30 or township committeeman, as the case may be shall have one
31 vote for each ballot voted in his county, ward or township,
32 or portion thereof within the Congressional District, by the
33 primary electors of his party at the primary at which he was
34 elected. However, the absent State central committeeman or
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1 committeewoman may designate a proxy when permitted by the
2 rules of a political party which elects its members by
3 Alternative B under paragraph (a) of this Section.
4 (Source: P.A. 90-627, eff. 7-10-98.)
5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6 becoming law.
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