101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3535

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/10-2  from Ch. 46, par. 10-2
10 ILCS 5/10-3  from Ch. 46, par. 10-3

    Amends the Election Code. Changes signature requirements for new political parties and independent candidates so the amounts are equal to those required for established political parties, irrespective of party affiliation.


LRB101 10623 SMS 55729 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3535LRB101 10623 SMS 55729 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 10-2 and 10-3 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/10-2)  (from Ch. 46, par. 10-2)
7    Sec. 10-2. The term "political party", as hereinafter used
8in this Article 10, shall mean any "established political
9party", as hereinafter defined and shall also mean any
10political group which shall hereafter undertake to form an
11established political party in the manner provided for in this
12Article 10: Provided, that no political organization or group
13shall be qualified as a political party hereunder, or given a
14place on a ballot, which organization or group is associated,
15directly or indirectly, with Communist, Fascist, Nazi or other
16un-American principles and engages in activities or propaganda
17designed to teach subservience to the political principles and
18ideals of foreign nations or the overthrow by violence of the
19established constitutional form of government of the United
20States and the State of Illinois.
21    A political party which, at the last general election for
22State and county officers, polled for its candidate for
23Governor more than 5% of the entire vote cast for Governor, is

 

 

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1hereby declared to be an "established political party" as to
2the State and as to any district or political subdivision
3thereof.
4    A political party which, at the last election in any
5congressional district, legislative district, county,
6township, municipality or other political subdivision or
7district in the State, polled more than 5% of the entire vote
8cast within such territorial area or political subdivision, as
9the case may be, has voted as a unit for the election of
10officers to serve the respective territorial area of such
11district or political subdivision, is hereby declared to be an
12"established political party" within the meaning of this
13Article as to such district or political subdivision.
14    Any group of persons hereafter desiring to form a new
15political party throughout the State, or in any congressional,
16legislative or judicial district, or in any other district or
17in any political subdivision (other than a municipality) not
18entirely within a single county, shall file with the State
19Board of Elections a petition, as hereinafter provided; and any
20such group of persons hereafter desiring to form a new
21political party within any county shall file such petition with
22the county clerk; and any such group of persons hereafter
23desiring to form a new political party within any municipality
24or township or within any district of a unit of local
25government other than a county shall file such petition with
26the local election official or Board of Election Commissioners

 

 

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1of such municipality, township or other unit of local
2government, as the case may be. Any such petition for the
3formation of a new political party throughout the State, or in
4any such district or political subdivision, as the case may be,
5shall declare as concisely as may be the intention of the
6signers thereof to form such new political party in the State,
7or in such district or political subdivision; shall state in
8not more than 5 words the name of such new political party;
9shall at the time of filing contain a complete list of
10candidates of such party for all offices to be filled in the
11State, or such district or political subdivision as the case
12may be, at the next ensuing election then to be held; and, if
13such new political party shall be formed for the entire State,
14shall be signed by least 5,000 but not more than 10,000
15qualified voters 1% of the number of voters who voted at the
16next preceding Statewide general election or 25,000 qualified
17voters, whichever is less. If such new political party shall be
18formed for any district or political subdivision less than the
19entire State, such petition shall be signed by qualified voters
20equaling in number not less than 0.5% of the qualified voters
215% of the number of voters who voted at the next preceding
22regular election in such district or political subdivision in
23which such district or political subdivision voted as a unit
24for the election of officers to serve its respective
25territorial area. However, whenever the minimum signature
26requirement for a district or political subdivision new

 

 

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1political party petition shall exceed the minimum number of
2signatures for State-wide new political party petitions at the
3next preceding State-wide general election, such State-wide
4petition signature requirement shall be the minimum for such
5district or political subdivision new political party
6petition.
7    For the first election following a redistricting of
8congressional districts, a petition to form a new political
9party in a congressional district shall be signed by at least
105,000 qualified voters of the congressional district. For the
11first election following a redistricting of legislative
12districts, a petition to form a new political party in a
13legislative district shall be signed by at least 600 3,000
14qualified voters of the legislative district. For the first
15election following a redistricting of representative
16districts, a petition to form a new political party in a
17representative district shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the
181,500 qualified voters of the representative district.
19    For the first election following redistricting of county
20board districts, or of municipal wards or districts, or for the
21first election following the initial establishment of such
22districts or wards in a county or municipality, a petition to
23form a new political party in a county board district or in a
24municipal ward or district shall be signed by qualified voters
25of the district or ward equal to not less than 0.5% of the
26qualified voters of the district or ward 5% of the total number

 

 

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1of votes cast at the preceding general or municipal election,
2as the case may be, for the county or municipal office voted on
3throughout the county or municipality for which the greatest
4total number of votes were cast for all candidates, divided by
5the number of districts or wards, but in any event not less
6than 25 qualified voters of the district or ward.
7    In the case of a petition to form a new political party
8within a political subdivision in which officers are to be
9elected from districts and at-large, such petition shall
10consist of separate components for each district from which an
11officer is to be elected. Each component shall be circulated
12only within a district of the political subdivision and signed
13only by qualified electors who are residents of such district.
14Each sheet of such petition must contain a complete list of the
15names of the candidates of the party for all offices to be
16filled in the political subdivision at large, but the sheets
17comprising each component shall also contain the names of those
18candidates to be elected from the particular district. Each
19component of the petition for each district from which an
20officer is to be elected must be signed by qualified voters of
21the district equalling in number not less than 0.5% of the
22qualified voters that district 5% of the number of voters who
23voted at the next preceding regular election in such district
24at which an officer was elected to serve the district. The
25entire petition, including all components, must be signed by a
26total of qualified voters of the entire political subdivision

 

 

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1equalling in number not less than 0.5% of the qualified voters
2of that entire political subdivision 5% of the number of voters
3who voted at the next preceding regular election in such
4political subdivision at which an officer was elected to serve
5the political subdivision at large.
6    The filing of such petition shall constitute the political
7group a new political party, for the purpose only of placing
8upon the ballot at such next ensuing election such list or an
9adjusted list in accordance with Section 10-11, of party
10candidates for offices to be voted for throughout the State, or
11for offices to be voted for in such district or political
12subdivision less than the State, as the case may be, under the
13name of and as the candidates of such new political party.
14    If, at such ensuing election, the new political party's
15candidate for Governor shall receive more than 5% of the entire
16votes cast for Governor, then such new political party shall
17become an "established political party" as to the State and as
18to every district or political subdivision thereof. If, at such
19ensuing election, the other candidates of the new political
20party, or any other candidate or candidates of the new
21political party shall receive more than 5% of all the votes
22cast for the office or offices for which they were candidates
23at such election, in the State, or in any district or political
24subdivision, as the case may be, then and in that event, such
25new political party shall become an "established political
26party" within the State or within such district or political

 

 

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1subdivision less than the State, as the case may be, in which
2such candidate or candidates received more than 5% of the votes
3cast for the office or offices for which they were candidates.
4It shall thereafter nominate its candidates for public offices
5to be filled in the State, or such district or political
6subdivision, as the case may be, under the provisions of the
7laws regulating the nomination of candidates of established
8political parties at primary elections and political party
9conventions, as now or hereafter in force.
10    A political party which continues to receive for its
11candidate for Governor more than 5% of the entire vote cast for
12Governor, shall remain an "established political party" as to
13the State and as to every district or political subdivision
14thereof. But if the political party's candidate for Governor
15fails to receive more than 5% of the entire vote cast for
16Governor, or if the political party does not nominate a
17candidate for Governor, the political party shall remain an
18"established political party" within the State or within such
19district or political subdivision less than the State, as the
20case may be, only so long as, and only in those districts or
21political subdivisions in which, the candidates of that
22political party, or any candidate or candidates of that
23political party, continue to receive more than 5% of all the
24votes cast for the office or offices for which they were
25candidates at succeeding general or consolidated elections
26within the State or within any district or political

 

 

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1subdivision, as the case may be.
2    Any such petition shall be filed at the same time and shall
3be subject to the same requirements and to the same provisions
4in respect to objections thereto and to any hearing or hearings
5upon such objections that are hereinafter in this Article 10
6contained in regard to the nomination of any other candidate or
7candidates by petition. If any such new political party shall
8become an "established political party" in the manner herein
9provided, the candidate or candidates of such new political
10party nominated by the petition hereinabove referred to for
11such initial election, shall have power to select any such
12party committeeperson or committeepersons as shall be
13necessary for the creation of a provisional party organization
14and provisional managing committee or committees for such party
15within the State, or in any district or political subdivision
16in which the new political party has become established; and
17the party committeeperson or committeepersons so selected
18shall constitute a provisional party organization for the new
19political party and shall have and exercise the powers
20conferred by law upon any party committeeperson or
21committeepersons to manage and control the affairs of such new
22political party until the next ensuing primary election at
23which the new political party shall be entitled to nominate and
24elect any party committeeperson or committeepersons in the
25State, or in such district or political subdivision under any
26parts of this Act relating to the organization of political

 

 

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1parties.
2    A candidate for whom a nomination paper has been filed as a
3partisan candidate at a primary election, and who is defeated
4for his or her nomination at the primary election, is
5ineligible for nomination as a candidate of a new political
6party for election in that general election.
7    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after
8the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General
9Assembly, signature requirements for new parties shall be the
10same as those for established political parties, irrespective
11of party affiliation.
12(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
13    (10 ILCS 5/10-3)  (from Ch. 46, par. 10-3)
14    Sec. 10-3. Nomination of independent candidates (not
15candidates of any political party), for any office to be filled
16by the voters of the State at large may also be made by
17nomination papers signed in the aggregate for each candidate by
18at least 5,000 but not more than 10,000 qualified voters 1% of
19the number of voters who voted in the next preceding Statewide
20general election or 25,000 qualified voters of the State,
21whichever is less. Nominations of independent candidates for
22public office within any district or political subdivision less
23than the State, may be made by nomination papers signed in the
24aggregate for each candidate by qualified voters of such
25district, or political subdivision, equaling not less than 0.5%

 

 

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1of the qualified voters of that district or political
2subdivision 5%, nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum,
3whichever is greater) of the number of persons, who voted at
4the next preceding regular election in such district or
5political subdivision in which such district or political
6subdivision voted as a unit for the election of officers to
7serve its respective territorial area. However, whenever the
8minimum signature requirement for an independent candidate
9petition for a district or political subdivision office shall
10exceed the minimum number of signatures for an independent
11candidate petition for an office to be filled by the voters of
12the State at large at the next preceding State-wide general
13election, such State-wide petition signature requirement shall
14be the minimum for an independent candidate petition for such
15district or political subdivision office. For the first
16election following a redistricting of congressional districts,
17nomination papers for an independent candidate for congressman
18shall be signed by at least 600 5,000 qualified voters of the
19congressional district. For the first election following a
20redistricting of legislative districts, nomination papers for
21an independent candidate for State Senator in the General
22Assembly shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the 3,000
23qualified voters of the legislative district or 25 signatures,
24whichever is greater. For the first election following a
25redistricting of representative districts, nomination papers
26for an independent candidate for State Representative in the

 

 

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1General Assembly shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the 1,500
2qualified voters of the representative district. For the first
3election following redistricting of county board districts, or
4of municipal wards or districts, or for the first election
5following the initial establishment of such districts or wards
6in a county or municipality, nomination papers for an
7independent candidate for county board member, or for alderman
8or trustee of such municipality, shall be signed by qualified
9voters of the district or ward equal to not less than 0.5% of
10the qualified voters of that district or ward 5% nor more than
118% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the
12total number of votes cast at the preceding general or general
13municipal election, as the case may be, for the county or
14municipal office voted on throughout such county or
15municipality for which the greatest total number of votes were
16cast for all candidates, divided by the number of districts or
17wards, but in any event not less than 25 qualified voters of
18the district or ward. Each voter signing a nomination paper
19shall add to his signature his place of residence, and each
20voter may subscribe to one nomination for such office to be
21filled, and no more: Provided that the name of any candidate
22whose name may appear in any other place upon the ballot shall
23not be so added by petition for the same office.
24    The person circulating the petition, or the candidate on
25whose behalf the petition is circulated, may strike any
26signature from the petition, provided that;

 

 

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1        (1) the person striking the signature shall initial the
2    petition at the place where the signature is struck; and
3        (2) the person striking the signature shall sign a
4    certification listing the page number and line number of
5    each signature struck from the petition. Such
6    certification shall be filed as a part of the petition.
7        (3) the persons striking signatures from the petition
8    shall each sign an additional certificate specifying the
9    number of certification pages listing stricken signatures
10    which are attached to the petition and the page numbers
11    indicated on such certifications. The certificate shall be
12    filed as a part of the petition, shall be numbered, and
13    shall be attached immediately following the last page of
14    voters' signatures and before the certifications of
15    stricken signatures.
16        (4) all of the foregoing requirements shall be
17    necessary to effect a valid striking of any signature. The
18    provisions of this Section authorizing the striking of
19    signatures shall not impose any criminal liability on any
20    person so authorized for signatures which may be
21    fraudulent.
22    In the case of the offices of Governor and Lieutenant
23Governor a joint petition including one candidate for each of
24those offices must be filed.
25    A candidate for whom a nomination paper has been filed as a
26partisan candidate at a primary election, and who is defeated

 

 

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1for his or her nomination at the primary election, is
2ineligible to be placed on the ballot as an independent
3candidate for election in that general or consolidated
4election.
5    A candidate seeking election to an office for which
6candidates of political parties are nominated by caucus who is
7a participant in the caucus and who is defeated for his or her
8nomination at such caucus, is ineligible to be listed on the
9ballot at that general or consolidated election as an
10independent candidate.
11    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after
12the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General
13Assembly, signature requirements for independent candidates
14shall be the same as those for established political parties,
15irrespective of party affiliation.
16(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)