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| 1 | AN ACT concerning local government. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Township Code is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Section 45-50 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | (60 ILCS 1/45-50) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sec. 45-50. Caucus procedures. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | (a) The rules of procedure for conducting a township or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | multi-township caucus must be approved and may be amended by a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | majority vote of the qualified participants attending the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | caucus. No participant shall be able to participate or vote at | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | any township or multi-township caucus if the person is or was | |||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | at anytime during the 12 months before the caucus any of the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | following: | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | (1) An elected or appointed public official of another | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | established political party. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | (2) An elected or appointed officer, director, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | precinct committeeman or representative of the township | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | committeeman of another established political party. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | (3) A judge of election under Article 13 or 14 of the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | Election Code for another statewide established political | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | party. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | (4) A voter who voted in the primary election of | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | another statewide established political party different | ||||||
| 2 | from the party holding the caucus. | ||||||
| 3 | (b) The rules of procedure shall include the following: | ||||||
| 4 | (1) No caucus shall commence earlier than 6:00 p.m. | ||||||
| 5 | (2) The caucus shall commence at the place specified | ||||||
| 6 | in the notice of caucus. | ||||||
| 7 | (3) Procedures by which qualified caucus participants | ||||||
| 8 | determine by a majority vote the duties of caucus judges | ||||||
| 9 | of election. Caucus judges of election shall be appointed | ||||||
| 10 | by a majority vote of the township or multi-township | ||||||
| 11 | central committee. No judge of the Supreme Court, | ||||||
| 12 | appellate court, or circuit court or associate judge shall | ||||||
| 13 | serve as a caucus judge of election. | ||||||
| 14 | (4) Nominations for selection as a candidate shall be | ||||||
| 15 | accepted from any qualified participant of the caucus. | ||||||
| 16 | (5) The method of voting (i.e., written ballot, voice | ||||||
| 17 | vote, show of hands, standing vote) for determining the | ||||||
| 18 | candidate or candidates selected for nomination. | ||||||
| 19 | (6) Whether candidates will be selected as a slate or | ||||||
| 20 | as individual nominees for each office. | ||||||
| 21 | (7) Whether written notice of intent to be a caucus | ||||||
| 22 | nominee is required. | ||||||
| 23 | (8) Other rules deemed necessary by the central | ||||||
| 24 | committee at the time the rules are promulgated or by the | ||||||
| 25 | majority of the qualified caucus participants when the | ||||||
| 26 | rules are being considered at their meeting. | ||||||
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| 1 | (9) A participant in a caucus shall be entitled to | ||||||
| 2 | only one vote for each office for which he or she is | ||||||
| 3 | voting. A participant's vote shall not be weighted to be | ||||||
| 4 | equal to more than one vote. | ||||||
| 5 | (c) Individuals participating at an established political | ||||||
| 6 | party township or multi-township caucus shall comply with each | ||||||
| 7 | of the following: | ||||||
| 8 | (1) A participant shall be registered under Article 4, | ||||||
| 9 | 5, or 6 of the Election Code. | ||||||
| 10 | (2) A participant shall be registered within the | ||||||
| 11 | territory for which the nomination is made. | ||||||
| 12 | (3) A participant shall sign an affidavit that he or | ||||||
| 13 | she is a registered voter and affiliated with the | ||||||
| 14 | established political party holding the caucus. | ||||||
| 15 | (4) A participant shall not take part in the | ||||||
| 16 | proceedings of more than one established political party | ||||||
| 17 | township and multi-township caucus for the same election. | ||||||
| 18 | This requirement also applies to the township and | ||||||
| 19 | multi-township clerks. | ||||||
| 20 | (5) A participant shall not, before or after | ||||||
| 21 | participating in a township or multi-township caucus, sign | ||||||
| 22 | a petition of nomination for an independent or new | ||||||
| 23 | political party candidate for the same election. | ||||||
| 24 | (6) A participant shall not become an independent | ||||||
| 25 | candidate or a candidate of another established political | ||||||
| 26 | party or a new political party for the same election. | ||||||
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| 1 | (d) The voters participating at an established political | ||||||
| 2 | party township or multi-township caucus shall not select for | ||||||
| 3 | nomination more candidates than there are to be elected for | ||||||
| 4 | each office. | ||||||
| 5 | (e) No candidate for nomination at a township or | ||||||
| 6 | multi-township caucus shall be required to do either of the | ||||||
| 7 | following: | ||||||
| 8 | (1) Circulate and file nominating petitions to become | ||||||
| 9 | a candidate at the caucus. | ||||||
| 10 | (2) File a fee to become a candidate at the caucus. | ||||||
| 11 | (f) For purposes of this Section "same election" means an | ||||||
| 12 | election in the same township office held during the same | ||||||
| 13 | election cycle. | ||||||
| 14 | (Source: P.A. 100-219, eff. 8-18-17.) | ||||||