HB4790 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 20061 SPS 33512 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4790

Introduced , by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/7-12	from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
10 ILCS 5/7-12.5 new
10 ILCS 5/10-8	from Ch. 46, par. 10-8

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Voter Choice and Fair Access Act. Amends the Election Code. Provides that, if a candidate who is the current holder of the elective office for which nomination papers have been filed withdraws his or her candidacy anytime up until 10 business days before the ballot is finalized, the State Board of Elections or the appropriate election authority shall reopen the filing period for that office. Sets forth additional requirements for the filing of petitions for nomination by incumbent office holders. Makes other changes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be referred to as the Voter Choice and Fair Access Act.

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 7-12 and 10-8 and by adding Section 7-12.5 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/7-12) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-12)

Sec. 7-12. All petitions for nomination shall be filed by mail or in person as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, where the nomination is to be made for a State, congressional, or judicial office, or for any office a nomination for which is made for a territorial division or district which comprises more than one county or is partly in one county and partly in another county or counties (including the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District), then, except as otherwise provided in this Section, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 141 and not less than 134 days prior to the date of the primary, but, in the case of petitions for nomination to fill a vacancy by special election in the office of representative in Congress from this State, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 85 days and not less than 82 days prior to the date of the primary.

Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme, Appellate or Circuit Court Judge within the 3-week period preceding the 134th day before a general primary election, petitions for nomination for the office in which the vacancy has occurred shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 120 nor less than 113 days prior to the date of the general primary election.

Where the nomination is to be made for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, then such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 141 and not less than 134 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, however, that if the rules or policies of a national political party conflict with such requirements for filing petitions for nomination for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, the chair of the State central committee of such national political party shall notify the Board in writing, citing by reference the rules or policies of the national political party in conflict, and in such case the Board shall direct such petitions to be filed in accordance with the delegate selection plan adopted by the state central committee of such national political party.

(1.1) Where the nomination is to be made for a State, congressional, or judicial office, or for any office a nomination for which is made for a territorial division or district which comprises more than one county or is partly in one county and partly in another county or counties (including the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District), and a candidate is the current holder of the elective office for which nomination papers are to be filed, then, except as otherwise provided in this Section, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 148 and not less than 141 days prior to the date of the primary.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2.1), where Where the nomination is to be made for a county office or trustee of a sanitary district then such petition shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 141 nor less than 134 days prior to the date of the primary.

(2.1) Where the nomination is to be made for a county office or trustee of a sanitary district and a candidate is the current holder of the elective office for which nomination papers are to be filed, then such petition shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 148 nor less than 141 days prior to the date of the primary.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3.1), where Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal or township office, such petitions for nomination shall be filed in the office of the local election official, not more than 127 nor less than 120 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, where a municipality's or township's boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the election authority.

(3.1) Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal or township office and a candidate is the current holder of the elective office for which nomination papers are to be filed, such petitions for nomination shall be filed in the office of the local election official, not more than 134 nor less than 127 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, where a municipality's or township's boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the election authority.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4.1), the The petitions of candidates for State central committeeperson shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 141 nor less than 134 days prior to the date of the primary.

(4.1) Where a candidate is the current central committeeperson for which nomination papers are to be filed, the petitions of candidates for State central committeeperson shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 148 nor less than 141 days prior to the date of the primary.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (5.1), petitions Petitions of candidates for precinct, township or ward committeepersons shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 141 nor less than 134 days prior to the date of the primary.

(5.1) Where a candidate is the current committeeperson for which nomination papers are to be filed, petitions of candidates for precinct, township or ward committeepersons shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 148 nor less than 141 days prior to the date of the primary.

(6) The State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom such petitions for nominations are filed shall specify the place where filings shall be made and upon receipt shall endorse thereon the day and hour on which each petition was filed. All petitions filed by persons waiting in line as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for filing, or as of the normal opening hour of the office involved on such day, shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m. or the normal opening hour, as the case may be. Petitions filed by mail and received after midnight of the first day for filing and in the first mail delivery or pickup of that day shall be deemed as filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or as of the normal opening hour of such day, as the case may be. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in the order of actual receipt. However, 2 or more petitions filed within the last hour of the filing deadline shall be deemed filed simultaneously. Where 2 or more petitions are received simultaneously, the State Board of Elections or the various election authorities or local election officials with whom such petitions are filed shall break ties and determine the order of filing, by means of a lottery or other fair and impartial method of random selection approved by the State Board of Elections. Such lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following the last day for petition filing and shall be open to the public. Seven days written notice of the time and place of conducting such random selection shall be given by the State Board of Elections to the chair of the State central committee of each established political party, and by each election authority or local election official, to the County Chair of each established political party, and to each organization of citizens within the election jurisdiction which was entitled, under this Article, at the next preceding election, to have pollwatchers present on the day of election. The State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official shall post in a conspicuous, open and public place, at the entrance of the office, notice of the time and place of such lottery. The State Board of Elections shall adopt rules and regulations governing the procedures for the conduct of such lottery. All candidates shall be certified in the order in which their petitions have been filed. Where candidates have filed simultaneously, they shall be certified in the order determined by lot and prior to candidates who filed for the same office at a later time.

(7) The State Board of Elections or the appropriate election authority or local election official with whom such a petition for nomination is filed shall notify the person for whom a petition for nomination has been filed of the obligation to file statements of organization, reports of campaign contributions, and quarterly reports of campaign contributions and expenditures under Article 9 of this Code. Such notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.

(8) Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid if the candidate named therein fails to file a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act in relation to his candidacy with the appropriate officer by the end of the period for the filing of nomination papers unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in relation to the same governmental unit with that officer within a year preceding the date on which such nomination papers were filed. If the nomination papers of any candidate and the statement of economic interests of that candidate are not required to be filed with the same officer, the candidate must file with the officer with whom the nomination papers are filed a receipt from the officer with whom the statement of economic interests is filed showing the date on which such statement was filed. Such receipt shall be so filed not later than the last day on which nomination papers may be filed.

(9) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, any person for whom a petition for nomination, or for committeeperson or for delegate or alternate delegate to a national nominating convention has been filed may cause his name to be withdrawn by request in writing, signed by him and duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to take acknowledgments of deeds, and filed in the principal or permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections or with the appropriate election authority or local election official, not later than the date of certification of candidates for the consolidated primary or general primary ballot. No names so withdrawn shall be certified or printed on the primary ballot. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person with respect to more than one political party, his name shall not be certified nor printed on the primary ballot of any party. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person for 2 or more offices which are incompatible so that the same person could not serve in more than one of such offices if elected, that person must withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within the 5 business days following the last day for petition filing. A candidate in a judicial election may file petitions for nomination for only one vacancy in a subcircuit and only one vacancy in a circuit in any one filing period, and if petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person for 2 or more vacancies in the same circuit or subcircuit in the same filing period, his or her name shall be certified only for the first vacancy for which the petitions for nomination were filed. If he fails to withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within such time his name shall not be certified, nor printed on the primary ballot, for any office. For the purpose of the foregoing provisions, an office in a political party is not incompatible with any other office.

(10)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary shall be held for an established political party in any township, municipality, or ward thereof, where the nomination of such party for every office to be voted upon by the electors of such township, municipality, or ward thereof, is uncontested. Whenever a political party's nomination of candidates is uncontested as to one or more, but not all, of the offices to be voted upon by the electors of a township, municipality, or ward thereof, then a primary shall be held for that party in such township, municipality, or ward thereof; provided that the primary ballot shall not include those offices within such township, municipality, or ward thereof, for which the nomination is uncontested. For purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to an office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such party for election to such office.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary election shall be held for an established political party for any special primary election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress where the nomination of such political party for said office is uncontested. For the purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to said office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such established party for election to said office. This subsection (b) shall not apply if such primary election is conducted on a regularly scheduled election day.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (a) and (b) of this paragraph (10), whenever a person who has not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends to become a write-in candidate for a political party's nomination for any office for which the nomination is uncontested files a written statement or notice of that intent with the local election official where the candidate is seeking to appear on the ballot, a primary ballot shall be prepared and a primary shall be held for that office. Such statement or notice shall be filed on or before the date established in this Article for certifying candidates for the primary ballot. Such statement or notice shall contain (i) the name and address of the person intending to become a write-in candidate, (ii) a statement that the person is a qualified primary elector of the political party from whom the nomination is sought, (iii) a statement that the person intends to become a write-in candidate for the party's nomination, and (iv) the office the person is seeking as a write-in candidate. An election authority shall have no duty to conduct a primary and prepare a primary ballot for any office for which the nomination is uncontested unless a statement or notice meeting the requirements of this Section is filed in a timely manner.

(11) If multiple sets of nomination papers are filed for a candidate to the same office, the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official where the petitions are filed shall within 2 business days notify the candidate of his or her multiple petition filings and that the candidate has 3 business days after receipt of the notice to notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official that he or she may cancel prior sets of petitions. If the candidate notifies the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official, the last set of petitions filed shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official. If the candidate fails to notify the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official then only the first set of petitions filed shall be valid and all subsequent petitions shall be void.

(12) All nominating petitions shall be available for public inspection and shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.

(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-687, eff. 12-17-21; 103-586, eff. 5-3-24; 103-600, eff. 7-1-24.)

(10 ILCS 5/7-12.5 new)

Sec. 7-12.5. Reopened filing period following withdrawal by an incumbent.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a candidate who is the current holder of the elective office for which nomination papers have been filed withdraws his or her candidacy anytime up until 10 business days before the ballot is finalized, the State Board of Elections or the appropriate election authority shall reopen the filing period for that office.

(b) The reopened filing period shall begin no later than 5 business days after the withdrawal is certified and shall remain open for 10 business days. During the reopened filing period, any qualified person eligible for the office may file nomination papers. Nomination papers filed during the reopened filing period shall be subject to the same requirements, objections, and certification procedures as nomination papers filed during the original filing period.

(c) This Section applies only to withdrawals by a candidate who is the incumbent officeholder at the time of withdrawal. The reopened filing period shall apply regardless of whether any candidates for the office remain on the ballot at the time of withdrawal.

(10 ILCS 5/10-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-8)

Sec. 10-8. Except as otherwise provided in this Code, certificates of nomination and nomination papers, and petitions to submit public questions to a referendum, being filed as required by this Code, and being in apparent conformity with the provisions of this Code Act, shall be deemed to be valid unless objection thereto is duly made in writing within 5 business days after the last day for filing the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petition for a public question, with the following exceptions:

A. In the case of petitions to amend Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, there shall be a period of 35 business days after the last day for the filing of such petitions in which objections can be filed.

B. In the case of petitions for advisory questions of public policy to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, there shall be a period of 35 business days after the last day for the filing of such petitions in which objections can be filed.

Any legal voter of the political subdivision or district in which the candidate or public question is to be voted on, or any legal voter in the State in the case of a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution or an advisory public question to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, having objections to any certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions filed, shall file an objector's petition together with 2 copies thereof in the principal office or the permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections, or in the office of the election authority or local election official with whom the certificate of nomination, nomination papers or petitions are on file. Objection petitions that do not include 2 copies thereof, shall not be accepted. In the case of nomination papers or certificates of nomination, the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition is filed, and shall, not later than 12:00 p.m. noon on the second business day after receipt of the petition, transmit by registered mail or receipted personal delivery the certificate of nomination or nomination papers and the original objector's petition to the chair of the proper electoral board designated in Section 10-9 of this Code hereof, or his authorized agent, and shall transmit a copy by registered mail or receipted personal delivery of the objector's petition, to the candidate whose certificate of nomination or nomination papers are objected to, addressed to the place of residence designated in said certificate of nomination or nomination papers. In the case of objections to a petition for a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution or for an advisory public question to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, the State Board of Elections shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition is filed and shall transmit a copy of the objector's petition by registered mail or receipted personal delivery to the person designated on a certificate attached to the petition as the principal proponent of such proposed amendment or public question, or as the proponents' attorney, for the purpose of receiving notice of objections. In the case of objections to a petition for a public question, to be submitted to the voters of a political subdivision, or district thereof, the election authority or local election official with whom such petition is filed shall note the day and hour upon which such objector's petition was filed, and shall, not later than 12:00 p.m. noon on the second business day after receipt of the petition, transmit by registered mail or receipted personal delivery the petition for the public question and the original objector's petition to the chair of the proper electoral board designated in Section 10-9 of this Code hereof, or his authorized agent, and shall transmit a copy by registered mail or receipted personal delivery, of the objector's petition to the person designated on a certificate attached to the petition as the principal proponent of the public question, or as the proponent's attorney, for the purposes of receiving notice of objections.

The objector's petition shall give the objector's name and residence address, and shall state fully the nature of the objections to the certificate of nomination or nomination papers or petitions in question, and shall state the interest of the objector and shall state what relief is requested of the electoral board.

The provisions of this Section and of Sections 10-9, 10-10, and 10-10.1 shall also apply to and govern objections to petitions for nomination filed under Article 7 or Article 8, except as otherwise provided in Section 7-13 for cases to which it is applicable, and also apply to and govern petitions for the submission of public questions under Article 28.

For the purposes of this Section, a vacancy includes a withdrawal described in Section 7-12.5.

(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; revised 6-24-25.)