102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3511

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
65 ILCS 20/21-24.5 new

    Amends the Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941. Establishes a procedure for a special recall election to recall the Mayor of Chicago and the election of a successor mayor at a special successor primary election or special runoff election. Effective immediately.


LRB102 04267 AWJ 14285 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3511LRB102 04267 AWJ 14285 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Revised Cities and Villages Act of 1941 is
5amended by adding Section 21-24.5 as follows:
 
6    (65 ILCS 20/21-24.5 new)
7    Sec. 21-24.5. Recall election; Mayor of Chicago.
8    (a) The recall of the Mayor of Chicago may be proposed by a
9petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at
10least 15% of the total votes cast for Mayor in the preceding
11election, with at least 50 signatures from each ward. A
12petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors
13not more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with
14the board of election commissioners providing notice of intent
15to circulate a petition to recall the Mayor. The affidavit may
16be filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the
17Mayor's term of office. The affidavit shall have been signed
18by the proponent of the recall petition and at least 2
19aldermen.
20    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
21for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
22shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
23sufficient, the board of election commissioners shall certify

 

 

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1the petition not more than 100 days after the date the petition
2was filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the
3office of Mayor?" must be submitted to the electors at a
4special recall election called by the board of election
5commissioners, to occur not more than 100 days after
6certification of the petition. A recall petition certified by
7the board of election commissioners may not be withdrawn and
8another recall petition may not be initiated against the Mayor
9during the remainder of the current term of office. Any recall
10petition or recall election pending on the date of the next
11election at which a candidate for Mayor is elected is void.
12    (c) If a petition to recall the Mayor has been filed with
13the board of election commissioners, a person eligible to
14serve as Mayor may propose his or her candidacy for the special
15successor primary election by a petition signed by at least
1612,500 legal voters of the city, signed not more than 50 days
17after a recall petition has been filed with the board of
18election commissioners. All such petitions, and procedure with
19respect thereto, shall conform in other respects to the
20provisions of the election and ballot laws then in force in the
21city of Chicago concerning the nomination of independent
22candidates for public office by petition. If the successor
23election petition is valid and sufficient, the board of
24election commissioners shall certify the petition not more
25than 100 days after the date the petition to recall the Mayor
26was filed.

 

 

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1    If the Mayor is removed by the special recall election,
2the names of candidates for Mayor must be submitted to the
3electors at a special successor primary election called by the
4board of election commissioners to be held 60 days after the
5special recall election. If no candidate receives a majority
6of the votes in the special successor primary election, a
7special runoff election shall be held no later than 60 days
8after the special successor primary election, and only the
9names of the candidates receiving the highest and second
10highest number of votes at the special successor primary
11election shall appear on the ballot. If more than one
12candidate received the highest or second highest number of
13votes at the special successor primary election, the names of
14all candidates receiving the highest and second highest number
15of votes shall appear on the ballot at the special runoff
16election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes
17at the special runoff election shall be declared elected.
18    (d) The Mayor is immediately removed upon certification of
19the special recall election results if a majority of the
20electors voting on the question vote to recall the Mayor. If
21the Mayor is removed, then (i) the Vice Mayor shall serve until
22the Mayor is elected at the special successor primary election
23or special runoff election is qualified and (ii) the candidate
24who receives a majority of votes in the special successor
25primary election or the candidate who receives the highest
26number of votes in the special runoff election is elected

 

 

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1Mayor for the balance of the term.
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.