97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1167

 

Introduced 02/08/11, by Rep. Patrick J. Verschoore

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/1-25 new
10 ILCS 5/17-9  from Ch. 46, par. 17-9

    Amends the Election Code. Requires that an otherwise valid ballot be counted, regardless of the absence of the initials of a judge of elections.


LRB097 07103 HLH 47202 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1167LRB097 07103 HLH 47202 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section
517-9 and by adding Section 1-25 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/1-25 new)
7    Sec. 1-25. Absence of judge's initials on ballot.
8Notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary, an
9otherwise valid vote on a ballot, ballot card, or ballot sheet
10that has not been initialed by a judge of elections is not
11rendered invalid by the absence of those initials and shall be
12counted as though the ballot, ballot card, or ballot sheet were
13initialed.
 
14    (10 ILCS 5/17-9)  (from Ch. 46, par. 17-9)
15    Sec. 17-9. Any person desiring to vote shall give his name
16and, if required to do so, his residence to the judges of
17election, one of whom shall thereupon announce the same in a
18loud and distinct tone of voice, clear, and audible; the judges
19of elections shall check each application for ballot against
20the list of voters registered in that precinct to whom grace
21period, absentee, or early ballots have been issued for that
22election, which shall be provided by the election authority and

 

 

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1which list shall be available for inspection by pollwatchers. A
2voter applying to vote in the precinct on election day whose
3name appears on the list as having been issued a grace period,
4absentee, or early ballot shall not be permitted to vote in the
5precinct, except that a voter to whom an absentee ballot was
6issued may vote in the precinct if the voter submits to the
7election judges that absentee ballot for cancellation. If the
8voter is unable to submit the absentee ballot, it shall be
9sufficient for the voter to submit to the election judges (i) a
10portion of the absentee ballot if the absentee ballot was torn
11or mutilated or (ii) an affidavit executed before the election
12judges specifying that (A) the voter never received an absentee
13ballot or (B) the voter completed and returned an absentee
14ballot and was informed that the election authority did not
15receive that absentee ballot. All applicable provisions of
16Articles 4, 5 or 6 shall be complied with and if such name is
17found on the register of voters by the officer having charge
18thereof, he shall likewise repeat said name, and the voter
19shall be allowed to enter within the proximity of the voting
20booths, as above provided. One of the judges shall give the
21voter one, and only one of each ballot to be voted at the
22election, on the back of which ballots such judge shall indorse
23his initials in such manner that they may be seen when each
24such ballot is properly folded, and the voter's name shall be
25immediately checked on the register list. In those election
26jurisdictions where perforated ballot cards are utilized of the

 

 

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1type on which write-in votes can be cast above the perforation,
2the election authority shall provide a space both above and
3below the perforation for the judge's initials, and the judge
4shall endorse his or her initials in both spaces.
5Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, the failure of
6the judge to initial the ballot or ballot card does not alone
7preclude the ballot or ballot card from being voted and
8counted. Whenever a proposal for a constitutional amendment or
9for the calling of a constitutional convention is to be voted
10upon at the election, the separate blue ballot or ballots
11pertaining thereto shall, when being handed to the voter, be
12placed on top of the other ballots to be voted at the election
13in such manner that the legend appearing on the back thereof,
14as prescribed in Section 16-6 of this Act, shall be plainly
15visible to the voter. At all elections, when a registry may be
16required, if the name of any person so desiring to vote at such
17election is not found on the register of voters, he or she
18shall not receive a ballot until he or she shall have complied
19with the law prescribing the manner and conditions of voting by
20unregistered voters. If any person desiring to vote at any
21election shall be challenged, he or she shall not receive a
22ballot until he or she shall have established his right to vote
23in the manner provided hereinafter; and if he or she shall be
24challenged after he has received his ballot, he shall not be
25permitted to vote until he or she has fully complied with such
26requirements of the law upon being challenged. Besides the

 

 

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1election officer, not more than 2 voters in excess of the whole
2number of voting booths provided shall be allowed within the
3proximity of the voting booths at one time. The provisions of
4this Act, so far as they require the registration of voters as
5a condition to their being allowed to vote shall not apply to
6persons otherwise entitled to vote, who are, at the time of the
7election, or at any time within 60 days prior to such election
8have been engaged in the military or naval service of the
9United States, and who appear personally at the polling place
10on election day and produce to the judges of election
11satisfactory evidence thereof, but such persons, if otherwise
12qualified to vote, shall be permitted to vote at such election
13without previous registration.
14    All such persons shall also make an affidavit which shall
15be in substantially the following form:
16State of Illinois,)
17                  ) ss.
18County of ........)
19............... Precinct   .......... Ward
20    I, ...., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am a citizen
21of the United States, of the age of 18 years or over, and that
22within the past 60 days prior to the date of this election at
23which I am applying to vote, I have been engaged in the ....
24(military or naval) service of the United States; and I am
25qualified to vote under and by virtue of the Constitution and
26laws of the State of Illinois, and that I am a legally

 

 

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1qualified voter of this precinct and ward except that I have,
2because of such service, been unable to register as a voter;
3that I now reside at .... (insert street and number, if any) in
4this precinct and ward; that I have maintained a legal
5residence in this precinct and ward for 30 days and in this
6State 30 days next preceding this election.
7
.........................
8    Subscribed and sworn to before me on (insert date).
9
.........................
10
Judge of Election.

 
11    The affidavit of any such person shall be supported by the
12affidavit of a resident and qualified voter of any such
13precinct and ward, which affidavit shall be in substantially
14the following form:
15State of Illinois,)
16                  ) ss.
17County of ........)
18........... Precinct   ........... Ward
19    I, ...., do solemnly swear (or affirm), that I am a
20resident of this precinct and ward and entitled to vote at this
21election; that I am acquainted with .... (name of the
22applicant); that I verily believe him to be an actual bona fide
23resident of this precinct and ward and that I verily believe
24that he or she has maintained a legal residence therein 30 days
25and in this State 30 days next preceding this election.

 

 

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1
.........................
2    Subscribed and sworn to before me on (insert date).
3
.........................
4
Judge of Election.

 
5    All affidavits made under the provisions of this Section
6shall be enclosed in a separate envelope securely sealed, and
7shall be transmitted with the returns of the elections to the
8county clerk or to the board of election commissioners, who
9shall preserve the said affidavits for the period of 6 months,
10during which period such affidavits shall be deemed public
11records and shall be freely open to examination as such.
12(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)