Section 176.1060  Form of Documents Filed − Original Documents Required

a)         Form of Papers 

1)         All papers filed in any proceeding must:

A)        be clearly written or typewritten;

B)        contain a caption showing the title of the proceeding with a case number:

C)        be signed or verified by the party filing the papers or that party's authorized representative or attorney; and

D)        contain the party's address, telephone number, website, and email address, if available. 

2)         An original and one copy shall be filed by each party, except as provided in subsection (b).

b)         Original Documents Required.  If a document submitted under this Part has not been previously submitted to the Department of Administrative Hearings, only the original document will be accepted or admitted into evidence.  "Original document" means bearing the original signature of the petitioner or author of the document, as applicable.  Documents that are composed or created solely to submit to the Secretary of State at a formal hearing must be submitted as originals.

c)         Documents Sent by Facsimile or Electronic Transmission.  Documents that must be submitted as an original but are instead sent by facsimile or electronic transmission will be accepted at the time of the hearing.  However, the originals of the documents must be submitted at a later date.  The hearing officer will grant leave to submit the originals within not more than 14 calendar days after the hearing.  The hearing officer will determine the specific number of days within which the petitioner is allowed to submit the original, based on the individual circumstances of each case.

d)         Failure to Submit.  The petitioner's failure to submit an original document as required in this Section will not in and of itself constitute, under any circumstance, the sole basis for denying relief.

(Source:  Added at 47 Ill. Reg. 8640, effective June 5, 2023)