SB2821sam001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Terry Link

Filed: 4/20/2018

10000SB2821sam001 LRB100 18831 MJP 38876 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2821

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2821 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section 1-17 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/1-17 new)

Sec. 1-17. Vote centers.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Board" means:

(1) the board of election commissioners; or

(2) if no board of election commissioners exists, the county board for the county coterminous with the election jurisdiction.

"Vote center" means a polling place where a voter who resides in the county in which the vote center is located may vote without regard to which precinct the voter resides in.

(b) A board may establish vote centers in an election jurisdiction by doing the following:

(1) the board shall hold an initial public hearing where a draft plan shall be presented by the election authority for administration of vote centers in the election jurisdiction;

(2) after presentation of the draft plan, the board shall accept written public comments for at least 14 days;

(3) at least 14 days after presentation of the draft plan, the board shall hold a final public hearing to consider the draft plan, the written public comments, and any other public comment that the board may permit on the draft plan; the most frequently submitted public comments and questions must be addressed at this hearing, and posted online by the board;

(4) after consideration of the draft plan and the public comments, the board may:

(A) vote to adopt an order approving the draft plan; or

(B) amend the draft plan and then vote to adopt an order approving the amended draft plan.

The board may adopt the order to approve a plan by a three-fifths vote of the board. The order and adopted plan must be filed with the State Board of Elections and made available to the public.

Following the adoption of a plan establishing vote centers by three-fifths vote of the board, the election authority may submit a revised draft plan to the board. In order to adopt the revised draft plan, the board shall consider the plan according to subsections (1) through (4), unless the revised plan changes only the location of vote centers in the jurisdiction. If the revised plan changes the location of vote centers and makes no other changes to the existing plan, then the board may adopt the new plan with a three-fifths vote at its meeting without requiring the public comment period described in subsections (2) and (3).

(c) The plan required by subsection (b) must include the following:

(1) The total number of vote centers to be established.

(2) The location of each vote center.

(3) The total number of voters within the election jurisdiction.

(4) The number of active voters within the election jurisdiction.

(5) The number of inactive voters within the election jurisdiction.

(6) For each vote center designated under paragraph (2):

(A) a description of how the vote center will ensure every ballot style appearing in the jurisdiction will be available to voters at the vote center; and

(B) certification that at least 3 poll workers will be present at each vote center on election day.

(7) A certification that the proposed vote centers are accessible to disabled voters and comply with the accessibility requirements applicable to polling places.

(8) The total number and locations of early voting locations to be established at vote center locations designated under paragraph (2).

(9) A plan to educate voters on the transition to vote centers.

(10) A plan and allocation request to send a one-time vote by mail application to all registered voters prior to the first election where vote centers are used.

(11) Consideration of the following accommodations for accessibility and placement:

(A) vote center proximity to public transportation;

(B) vote center proximity to communities with historically low vote by mail usage;

(C) vote center location proximity to population centers;

(D) vote center proximity to language minority communities;

(E) vote center proximity to voters with disabilities;

(F) vote center location proximity to low-income communities;

(G) vote center proximity to communities of eligible voters who are not registered to vote and may need access to same day voter registration; and

(H) proximity to accessible and free parking at vote centers.

(d) Except as provided otherwise in this subsection, a plan must provide a vote center for use by voters residing within the election jurisdiction for use in a primary election, general election, special election, municipal primary, or municipal election conducted on or after the effective date of the board's order.

(1) The plan must provide for at least one vote center for each 7,500 active voters who are eligible to vote in the election in which the vote centers are used.

(2) In addition to the vote centers designated in paragraph (1), the plan must provide for a vote center for any remaining fraction of 7,500 active voters who are eligible to vote in the election in which the vote centers are used.

(e) Before adopting an order establishing vote centers in an election jurisdiction in accordance with this Section, the election authority must determine that:

(1) the secure electronic connection at each vote center is sufficient to prevent:

(A) any voter from voting more than once; and

(B) unauthorized access by any person to the computerized list of voters in the election jurisdiction;

(2) the planned design and location of the equipment and precinct officers will provide the most efficient access for:

(A) voters to enter the polls, cast their ballots, and leave the vote center; and

(B) precinct election officials, watchers, challengers, and poll book holders to exercise their and perform their duties within the vote center;

(3) the planned design does not have a disproportionately negative effect on racial or language minority voters, based on 52 U.S.C. 10301; and

(4) the planned design includes one vote center per each 7,500 voters eligible to vote in the election on Election Day, and one vote center per each 10,000 registered voters eligible to vote in the election for at least 8 hours on each of the 3 days before election day; and

(5) distributes the vote centers equitably across the jurisdiction so as to afford maximally convenient options for voters.

(f) Except as provided in subsection (h) or as specified otherwise by the board, an order establishing vote centers in an election jurisdiction in accordance with subsection (b) takes effect immediately upon the filing of the order with the State Board of Elections, after local approval. The State Board of Elections shall publish the plan on its website once it is filed.

(g) An order filed with the State Board of Elections in accordance with subsection (b) during the final 60 days before an election becomes effective on the day following the election. An order filed with the State Board of Elections in accordance with subsection (b) remains in effect until the board, by a three-fifths vote, rescinds the order establishing vote centers in the election jurisdiction and files a copy of the document rescinding the order with the State Board of Elections.

(h) Each election authority in a county with a vote center and the State Board of Elections shall publish notice of the location of each vote center. Each election authority shall publish the location of the vote centers electronically on its website, if the election authority has a website, as well as in the manner prescribed for the publication of other polling places under Article 12 of this Code. For the first election after the establishment of vote centers under subsection (b), the election authority shall mail to each voter a notice of the vote center locations, and notice that the voter may vote in person at any vote center in the election jurisdiction. The notice shall also include information regarding which early voting locations will also serve as election day vote centers.

(i) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the election authority shall administer an election conducted at a vote center in accordance with federal law, this Code, and the plan adopted with the board's order under subsection (b).

(j) A vote center shall replace a polling place when used on election day and shall serve as a temporary early voting site before election day.

(k) This Section shall apply only to election jurisdictions with less than 1,000,000 residents.

(l) Within 2 years of the adoption of a vote center plan under this Section, the election jurisdiction shall hold public meetings to consider revising the plan with the public's input.".