99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB3173

 

Introduced , by Rep. Mike Fortner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 120/5-1.5 new
10 ILCS 120/5-2 new
10 ILCS 120/5-3 new
10 ILCS 120/5-4 new
10 ILCS 120/5-6 new
10 ILCS 120/5-7 new
10 ILCS 120/5-8 new
10 ILCS 120/5-11 new
10 ILCS 120/5-5 rep.

    Amends the Voting Rights Act of 2011. Makes changes to the requirements of redistricting. Creates new violations under the Act and remedies for those violations. Repeals current provisions relating to redistricting.


LRB099 09582 MGM 29791 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3173LRB099 09582 MGM 29791 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 Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 is
5amended by adding Sections 5-1.5, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-6, 5-7, 5-8,
6and 5-11 as follows:
 
7    (10 ILCS 120/5-1.5 new)
8    Sec. 5-1.5. Findings and intent. The General Assembly finds
9and hereby declares that the purpose of this Act is to address
10ongoing vote dilution and discrimination in voting as matters
11of statewide concern in order to enforce the fundamental rights
12guaranteed by Sections 1 and 2 of Article I, and Section 1 of
13Article III of the Illinois Constitution. This amendatory Act
14of the 99th General Assembly is enacted to implement the
15guarantees of Sections 1 and 2 of Article I, and of Section 1
16of Article III of the Illinois Constitution.
 
17    (10 ILCS 120/5-2 new)
18    Sec. 5-2. Definitions. As used in this Act:
19    (a) "District-based elections" means a method of electing
20members to the governing body of a political subdivision in
21which the candidate must reside within an election district
22that is a divisible part of the political subdivision and is

 

 

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1elected only by voters residing within that election district.
2    (b) "At-large method of election" means any of the
3following methods of electing members to the governing body of
4a political subdivision:
5        (1) One in which the voters of the entire jurisdiction
6    elect the members to the governing body.
7        (2) One in which the candidates are required to reside
8    within given areas of the jurisdiction and the voters of
9    the entire jurisdiction elect the members to the governing
10    body.
11        (3) One which combines at-large elections with
12    district-based elections.
13    (c) "Political subdivision" means a geographic area of
14representation created for the provision of government
15services, including, but not limited to, a county, a city, a
16school district, a community college district, or other
17district organized pursuant to State law.
18    (d) "Protected group" and "protected class" under this Act
19shall both mean a class of voters who are members of a race,
20color, or language minority group, as this class is referenced
21and defined in the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.
221973 et seq.).
23    (e) "Racially-polarized voting" means voting in which
24there is a difference, as defined in case law regarding
25enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.
261973 et seq.), in the choice of candidates or other electoral

 

 

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1choices that are preferred by voters in a protected class, and
2in the choice of candidates and electoral choices that are
3preferred by voters in the rest of the electorate. The
4methodologies for estimating group voting behavior as approved
5in applicable federal cases to enforce the federal Voting
6Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973 et seq.) to establish
7racially-polarized voting may be used for purposes of this
8Section to prove that elections are characterized by
9racially-polarized voting.
10    (f) To "influence the outcome of an election" means that a
11protected class votes as a cohesive bloc and is sufficiently
12large that a candidate cannot win an election without its
13support.
14    (g) "Community of interest" means a community with common
15needs, views, and characteristics. A community of interest can
16be identified if it shares 2 or more of the following
17characteristics:
18        (1) Socio-economic levels.
19        (2) Educational backgrounds.
20        (3) Housing patterns and living conditions (urban,
21    suburban, rural).
22        (4) Culture.
23        (5) Language.
24        (6) Employment and economic patterns.
25        (7) Historic communities and neighborhoods.
 

 

 

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1    (10 ILCS 120/5-3 new)
2    Sec. 5-3. Redistricting. Neither an at-large method of
3election nor a single-member, district-based method of
4election may be imposed or applied in a manner that impairs the
5ability of a protected class to elect candidates of its choice
6or its ability to influence the outcome of an election, as a
7result of the dilution or the abridgment of the rights of
8voters who are members of a protected group or class, as
9defined under Section 5-2 of this Act. In creating a
10redistricting plan, political subdivisions shall strive to the
11extent possible to create electoral districts that preserve
12communities of interest so long as preserving such communities
13does not infringe on the rights of protected classes under the
14federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973 et seq.) and
15under this Act.
 
16    (10 ILCS 120/5-4 new)
17    Sec. 5-4. Violations.
18    (a) A violation of Section 5-3 is established if it is
19shown that racially-polarized voting occurs in elections for
20members of the governing body of the political subdivision or
21in elections incorporating other electoral choices by the
22voters of the political subdivision. Elections conducted prior
23to the filing of an action for a violation of Section 5-3 and
24this Section are more probative to establish the existence of
25racially-polarized voting than elections conducted after the

 

 

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1filing of the action.
2    (b) The occurrence of racially-polarized voting shall be
3determined from examining results of elections in which at
4least one candidate is a member of a protected class or
5elections involving ballot measures, or other electoral
6choices that affect the rights and privileges of members of a
7protected class. One circumstance that may be considered in
8determining a violation of Section 5-3 and this Section is the
9extent to which candidates who are members of a protected class
10and who are preferred by voters of the protected class, as
11determined by an analysis of voting behavior, have been elected
12to the governing body of a political subdivision that is the
13subject of an action based on Section 5-3 and this Section. In
14multi-seat at-large election districts, where the number of
15candidates who are members of a protected class is fewer than
16the number of seats available, the relative group-wide support
17received by candidates from members of a protected class shall
18be the basis for the racial polarization analysis.
19    (c) The fact that members of a protected class are not
20geographically compact or concentrated may not preclude a
21finding of racially-polarized voting, or a violation of Section
225-3 and this Section, but may be a factor in determining an
23appropriate remedy.
24    (d) Proof of intent on the part of the voters or elected
25officials to discriminate against a protected class is not
26required.

 

 

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1    (e) Other factors such as the history of discrimination,
2the use of electoral devices or other voting practices or
3procedures that may enhance the dilutive effects of at-large
4elections, denial of access to those processes determining
5which groups of candidates will receive financial or other
6support in a given election, the extent to which members of a
7protected class bear the effects of past discrimination in
8areas such as education, employment, and health, which hinder
9their ability to participate effectively in the political
10process, and the use of overt or subtle racial appeals in
11political campaigns are probative, but not necessary factors to
12establish a violation of Section 5-3 and this Section.
 
13    (10 ILCS 120/5-6 new)
14    Sec. 5-6. Standing. An action under Sections 5-3 and 5-4
15may be filed by any voter who is a member of a protected group
16or class and who resides in the political subdivision where a
17violation of those Sections is alleged in a State circuit court
18of the county in which the electoral district or the political
19subdivision is located.
 
20    (10 ILCS 120/5-7 new)
21    Sec. 5-7. Remedies for violations of 5-3 and 5-4.
22    (a) Upon a determination that there is a violation of
23Sections 5-3 and 5-4, the court shall implement an appropriate
24remedy or remedies. Any remedial order shall involve the

 

 

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1implementation of a lawful single-member district-based
2election system that includes:
3        (1) constitutional and effective districts in which
4    the minority group demonstrating a violation of Sections
5    5-3 and 5-4, has the opportunity to elect candidates of its
6    choice;
7        (2) if no additional such constitutional and effective
8    district is possible, constitutional districts in which a
9    coalition of groups, including the minority group
10    demonstrating a violation of Sections 5-3 and 5-4, has the
11    opportunity to elect candidates of choice;
12        (3) if no additional such constitutional district is
13    possible, constitutional districts in which the minority
14    group demonstrating a violation of Sections 5-3 and 5-4 is
15    able to exercise significant influence over election
16    outcomes; or
17        (4) if no additional such constitutional district is
18    possible, alternative election systems such as cumulative
19    voting, and rank-choice voting.
20    (b) Other remedies that may be implemented in addition to
21those provided under paragraph (a) of this Section may include
22an increase in the number of elected seats available; an
23injunction of upcoming elections; and movement of elections to
24take place on statewide election dates in accordance with
25Section 2A of the Election Code.
26    (c) The court shall implement every possible additional

 

 

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1remedy to which the protected group demonstrating a violation
2is entitled under this Act.
3    (d) Any and all remedies implemented by the court must be
4tailored to address the violation demonstrated, and shall be
5guided by several factors, including, but not limited to:
6        (1) The views as to the efficacy of the protected group
7    demonstrating a violation.
8        (2) Whether the protected group is concentrated within
9    a geographic area.
10        (3) Keeping a protected group that is geographically
11    compact as intact as possible.
12        (4) Any remedy implemented does not infringe on the
13    rights of the protected group demonstrating the violation
14    or the rights of other protected groups under this Act or
15    under the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973 et
16    seq.).
 
17    (10 ILCS 120/5-8 new)
18    Sec. 5-8. Recovery of attorney's fees. In any action to
19enforce Sections 5-3 and 5-4 the court shall allow the
20prevailing party, other than the State or political subdivision
21thereof, to recover reasonable attorney's fees and litigation
22expenses including, but not limited to, expert witness fees and
23expenses as part of the costs. Prevailing defendant parties
24shall not recover any costs, unless the court finds the action
25to be frivolous and wholly without merit.
 

 

 

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1    (10 ILCS 120/5-11 new)
2    Sec. 5-11. Nothing in this Act shall be construed, applied,
3or implemented in a way that conflicts with the United States
4Constitution or the Illinois Constitution. If any part of this
5Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held to
6be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the
7remainder of this Act or the application of that same part to
8other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.
 
9    (10 ILCS 120/5-5 rep.)
10    Section 10. The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 is
11amended by repealing Section 5-5.