102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4854

 

Introduced 1/27/2022, by Rep. Katie Stuart

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/11-2  from Ch. 46, par. 11-2

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that the county board in each county, except in counties having a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over, shall, at its regular meeting in June or an adjourned meeting in July, divide, adjust, or consolidate (currently, divide) its election precincts so that each precinct shall contain, as near as may be practicable, 1,200 registered voters. Provides that if it is not practicable to situate each precinct within a single district or ward by changing the boundaries of election precincts after each decennial census as soon as is practicable following the completion of congressional and legislative redistricting, then the county board may change the boundaries of the election precincts after the decennial census at the next regular June meeting or an adjourned meeting in July as described in the provisions. Makes conforming changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB4854LRB102 24052 AWJ 33270 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
5Section 11-2 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/11-2)  (from Ch. 46, par. 11-2)
7    Sec. 11-2. Election precincts. The County Board in each
8county, except in counties having a population of 3,000,000
9inhabitants or over, shall, at its regular meeting in June or
10an adjourned meeting in July, divide, adjust, or consolidate
11its election precincts so that each precinct shall contain, as
12near as may be practicable, 1,200 registered voters. Insofar
13as is practicable, each precinct shall be situated within a
14single congressional, legislative and representative district
15and in not more than one County Board district and one
16municipal ward. In order to situate each precinct within a
17single district or ward, the County Board shall change the
18boundaries of election precincts after each decennial census
19as soon as is practicable following the completion of
20congressional and legislative redistricting, unless this is
21not practicable, in which the County Board may change the
22boundaries of the election precincts after the decennial
23census at the next regular June meeting or an adjourned

 

 

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1meeting in July as described in this Section. except that, in
22021, the county board shall change the boundaries at a
3regular or special meeting within 60 days after the effective
4date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. In
5determining whether a division of precincts should be made,
6the county board may anticipate increased voter registration
7in any precinct in which there is in progress new construction
8of dwelling units which will be occupied by voters more than 30
9days before the next election. Each district shall be composed
10of contiguous territory in as compact form as can be for the
11convenience of the electors voting therein. The several county
12boards in establishing districts shall describe them by metes
13and bounds and number them. And so often thereafter as it shall
14appear by the number of votes cast at the general election held
15in November of any year, that any election district or
16undivided election precinct contains more than 1,200
17registered voters, the County Board of the county in which the
18district or precinct may be, shall at its regular meeting in
19June, or an adjourned meeting in July next, after such
20November election, consolidate, redivide or readjust such
21election district or election precinct, so that no district or
22election precinct shall contain more than the number of votes
23above specified. If for any reason the County Board fails in
24any year, including a year following decennial census in which
25redistricting occurs, to consolidate, redivide, or readjust
26the election districts or election precincts precinct, then

 

 

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1the districts or precincts as then existing shall continue
2until the next regular June meeting of the County Board; at
3which regular June meeting or an adjourned meeting in July the
4County Board shall consolidate, redivide, or readjust the
5election districts or election precincts in manner as herein
6required. When at any meeting of the County Board any
7consolidation, redivision, readjustment, or change in name or
8number of election districts or election precincts is made by
9the County Board, the County Clerk shall immediately notify
10the State Board of Elections of such consolidation,
11redivision, readjustment or change. The County Board in every
12case shall fix and establish the places for holding elections
13in its respective county and all elections shall be held at the
14places so fixed. The polling places shall in all cases be upon
15the ground floor in the front room, the entrance to which is in
16a highway or public street which is at least 40 feet wide, and
17is as near the center of the voting population of the precinct
18as is practicable, and for the convenience of the greatest
19number of electors to vote thereat; provided, however, where
20the County Board is unable to secure a suitable polling place
21within the boundaries of a precinct, it may select a polling
22place at the most conveniently located suitable place outside
23the precinct; but in no case shall an election be held in any
24room used or occupied as a saloon, dramshop, bowling alley or
25as a place of resort for idlers and disreputable persons,
26billiard hall or in any room connected therewith by doors or

 

 

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1hallways. No person shall be permitted to vote at any election
2except at the polling place for the precinct in which he
3resides, except as otherwise provided in this Section or
4Article 19 of this Act. In counties having a population of
53,000,000 inhabitants or over the County Board shall divide
6its election precincts and shall fix and establish places for
7holding elections as hereinbefore provided during the month of
8January instead of at its regular meeting in June or at an
9adjourned meeting in July.
10    However, in the event that additional divisions of
11election precincts are indicated after a division made by the
12County Board in the month of January, such additional
13divisions may be made by the County Board in counties having a
14population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over, at the regular
15meeting in June or at adjourned meeting in July. The county
16board of such county may divide or readjust precincts at any
17meeting of the county board when the voter registration in a
18precinct has increased beyond 1,800 registered voters and an
19election is scheduled before the next regular January or June
20meeting of the county board.
21    When in any city, village or incorporated town territory
22has been annexed thereto or disconnected therefrom, which
23annexation or disconnection becomes effective after election
24precincts or election districts have been established as above
25provided in this Section, the clerk of the municipality shall
26inform the county clerk thereof as provided in Section 4-21,

 

 

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15-28.1, or 6-31.1, whichever is applicable. In the event that
2a regular meeting of the County Board is to be held after such
3notification and before any election, the County Board shall,
4at its next regular meeting establish new election precinct
5lines in affected territory. In the event that no regular
6meeting of the County Board is to be held before such election
7the county clerk shall, within 5 days after being so informed,
8call a special meeting of the county board on a day fixed by
9him not more than 20 days thereafter for the purpose of
10establishing election precincts or election districts in the
11affected territory for the ensuing elections.
12    At any consolidated primary or consolidated election at
13which municipal officers are to be elected, and at any
14emergency referendum at which a public question relating to a
15municipality is to be voted on, notwithstanding any other
16provision of this Code, the election authority shall establish
17a polling place within such municipality, upon the request of
18the municipal council or board of trustees at least 60 days
19before the election and provided that the municipality
20provides a suitable polling place. To accomplish this purpose,
21the election authority may establish an election precinct
22constituting a single municipality of under 500 population for
23all elections, notwithstanding the minimum precinct size
24otherwise specified herein.
25    Notwithstanding the above, when there are no more than 50
26registered voters in a precinct who are entitled to vote in a

 

 

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1local government or school district election, the election
2authority having jurisdiction over the precinct is authorized
3to reassign such voters to one or more polling places in
4adjacent precincts, within or without the election authority's
5jurisdiction, for that election. For the purposes of such
6local government or school district election only, the votes
7of the reassigned voters shall be tallied and canvassed as
8votes from the precinct of the polling place to which such
9voters have been reassigned. The election authority having
10jurisdiction over the precinct shall approve all
11administrative and polling place procedures. Such procedures
12shall take into account voter convenience, and ensure that the
13integrity of the election process is maintained and that the
14secrecy of the ballot is not violated.
15    Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat
16in a place fixed or established by any county board or election
17authority pursuant to this Section as a polling place for an
18election, no election authority shall change the location of a
19polling place so established for any precinct after notice of
20the place of holding the election for that precinct has been
21given as required under Article 12 unless the election
22authority notifies all registered voters in the precinct of
23the change in location by first class mail in sufficient time
24for such notice to be received by the registered voters in the
25precinct at least one day prior to the date of the election.
26    The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts,

 

 

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1including those where voting machines or electronic voting
2systems are used.
3(Source: P.A. 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)