97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1854

 

Introduced , by Rep. Dan Brady

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/28-10  from Ch. 46, par. 28-10
10 ILCS 5/28-11  from Ch. 46, par. 28-11

    Amends the Election Code. In provisions concerning petitions for constitutional amendments and statewide advisory public questions, provides that on 15th business day (now, the 10th business day) following the last day for petition filing, the State Board of Elections shall conduct a hearing at which the proponents may present arguments and evidence as to the conformity of any purported nonconforming petition signatures. In provisions concerning petition signature verification, requires that within 20 business days (now, 14 business days) following the last day for filing a petition, the State Board of Elections shall prepare and transit to each proper election authority a list of the signatures from its election jurisdiction selected for verification. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB1854LRB097 07062 HLH 47155 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
5Sections 28-10 and 28-11 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/28-10)  (from Ch. 46, par. 28-10)
7    Sec. 28-10. Upon receipt of an original petition for a
8proposed Constitutional amendment or statewide advisory public
9question, the designated Board staff shall examine the petition
10sheets in each election jurisdiction section for conformity
11with the single jurisdiction signature requirement prescribed
12in Section 28-9. The Board staff shall determine from the name
13of the election jurisdiction printed at the top of the petition
14sheet or from the election jurisdiction of the circulator of
15that petition sheet, as the case may be, whether any signatures
16on that sheet are not in conformity. If any signatures are
17determined to be nonconforming, the Board staff shall prepare,
18for each election jurisdiction section, a list by page and line
19number of purported nonconforming signatures and shall
20immediately transmit such lists to the Board Chairman and
21copies of such lists to the principal proponent of the proposed
22Constitutional amendment or statewide advisory public
23question, or the proponent's attorney, whichever is designated

 

 

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1on the certificate attached to the petition, as provided in
2Section 10-8 of this Code.
3    On the 15th 10th business day following the last day for
4petition filing, the Board shall conduct a hearing at which the
5proponents may present arguments and evidence as to the
6conformity of any purported nonconforming signatures. At the
7conclusion of the hearing the Board shall make a final
8determination with respect to each purported nonconforming
9signature. Any signatures on petition sheets in an election
10jurisdiction section finally determined to be nonconforming
11shall not be considered part of the petition for the purpose of
12the random sample verification and shall not be counted toward
13the minimum number of signatures required to qualify the
14proposed Constitutional amendment or statewide advisory public
15question for the ballot.
16(Source: P.A. 83-999.)
 
17    (10 ILCS 5/28-11)  (from Ch. 46, par. 28-11)
18    Sec. 28-11. The Board shall design a standard and
19scientific random sampling method for the verification of
20petition signatures and shall conduct a public test to prove
21the validity of its sampling method. Notice of the time and
22place for such test shall be given at least 10 days before the
23date on which such test is to be conducted and in the manner
24prescribed for notice of regular Board meetings.
25    Within 20 14 business days following the last day for the

 

 

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1filing of the original petition as prescribed in Section 28-9,
2the Board shall apply its proven random sampling method to the
3petition sheets in each election jurisdiction section for the
4purpose of selecting and identifying the petition signatures to
5be included in the sample signature verification for the
6respective jurisdictions and shall prepare and transmit to each
7proper election authority a list by page and line number of the
8signatures from its election jurisdiction selected for
9verification.
10    For each election jurisdiction, the sample verification
11shall include an examination of either (a) 10% of the
12signatures if 5,010 or more signatures are involved; or (b) 500
13signatures if more than 500 but less than 5,010 signatures are
14involved; or (c) all signatures if 500 or less signatures are
15involved.
16    Each election authority with whom jurisdictional copies of
17petition sheets were filed shall use the proven random sampling
18method designed and furnished by the Board for the verification
19of signatures shown on the list supplied by the Board and in
20accordance with the following criteria for determination of
21petition signature validity:
22    1. Determine if the person who signed the petition is a
23registered voter in that election jurisdiction or was a
24registered voter therein on the date the petition was signed;
25    2. Determine if the signature of the person who signed the
26petition reasonably compares with the signature shown on that

 

 

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1person's registration record card.
2    Within 14 business days following receipt from the Board of
3the list of signatures for verification, each election
4authority shall transmit a properly dated certificate to the
5Board which shall indicate; (a) the page and line number of
6petition signatures examined, (b) the validity or invalidity of
7such signatures, and (c) the reasons for invalidity, based on
8the criteria heretofore prescribed. The Board shall prepare and
9adopt a standard form of certificate for use by the election
10authorities which shall be transmitted with the list of
11signatures for verification.
12    Upon written request of the election authority that, due to
13the volume of signatures in the sample for its jurisdiction,
14additional time is needed to properly perform the signature
15verification, the Board may grant the election authority
16additional days to complete the verification and transmit the
17certificate of results. These certificates of random sample
18verification results shall be available for public inspection
19within 24 hours after receipt by the State Board of Elections.
20(Source: P.A. 83-999.)
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.