HR1219

LRB096 22135 JAM 40785 r





  
1

HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2
    WHEREAS, In 1979, the General Assembly adopted legislation 
3
setting forth a procedure commonly known as "nursing home 
4
voting"; and
  
 
5
    WHEREAS, Nursing home voting involves the use of official 
6
judges of election going onto the premises of residential 
7
facilities licensed or certified pursuant to the Nursing Home 
8
Care Act; and
  
 
9
    WHEREAS, Nursing home residents who are registered voters 
10
have an opportunity to cast their ballots under the supervision 
11
of election judges; and
  
 
12
    WHEREAS, This procedure was embraced in an effort to 
13
increase the ability of nursing home residents who chose to 
14
vote in elections to have their votes cast lawfully; and
  
 
15
    WHEREAS, The law requires nursing home on-premises voting, 
16
regardless of the size of the home or the number of residents 
17
of the homes seeking to participate in the upcoming election; 
18
and
  
 
19
    WHEREAS, There are, in addition to residential facilities 
20
licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, numerous residential 
 


 






HR1219
- 2 -
LRB096 22135 JAM 40785 r




1
facilities licensed under the Assisted Living and Shared 
2
Housing Act and the Supportive Living Facilities Program 
3
provisions of the Illinois Public Aid Code; and
  
 
4
    WHEREAS, Registered voters also live in those facilities; 
5
and
  
 
6
    WHEREAS, Voters residing in these various licensed 
7
facilities may have issues both regarding ease of access in 
8
voting and the casting of ballots lawfully; and
  
 
9
    WHEREAS, The cost/benefit impact of nursing home voting and 
10
the administrative responsibilities resulting from any 
11
proposal to expand or reduce that procedure to licensed nursing 
12
homes or to additional venues would benefit election 
13
authorities and legislators seeking to strike the appropriate 
14
balance in offering on-site voting procedures to Illinois 
15
voters; and
  
 
16
    WHEREAS, The State Board of Elections currently 
17
coordinates meetings of The State Board of Elections Clerk 
18
Advisory Committee, which meets periodically for the purpose of 
19
sharing discussion on a wide variety of election administration 
20
issues; therefore, be it
  
 
21
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
 


 






HR1219
- 3 -
LRB096 22135 JAM 40785 r




1
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
2
urge the State Board of Elections Clerk Advisory Committee to 
3
place on an upcoming agenda of that Committee a public 
4
discussion of the status of nursing home voting and the utility 
5
of any reductions or expansions in the use of on-site voting 
6
procedures for Illinois voters, permitting interested parties 
7
to offer input on any legislative or administrative changes 
8
that would benefit Illinois elections; and be it further
  
 
9
    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
10
delivered to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the State 
11
Board of Elections.