HB4198 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 34788 AWJ 64639 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4198

Introduced 10/25/2023, by Rep. Carol Ammons

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/19-2.5
10 ILCS 5/19-4	from Ch. 46, par. 19-4

Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election authority may elect to mail a vote by mail ballot to all qualified voters instead of sending notices and applications for permanent vote by mail status. Requires the election authority to make a list of all voters to whom the vote by mail ballots will be sent, publicly post that list, and send the list to the State Board of Elections. Provides that a person who has never voted before may not be sent a vote by mail ballot under the provisions unless the person first provides the election authority with sufficient proof of identity and the election authority verifies the person's proof of identity. Provides that a person may request, in writing, to the election authority that the person not receive a ballot sent under the provisions. Provides that the election authority shall keep a record of a person who has made a request and, in all future elections following receipt of the request, shall instead send the person who made the request a notice and application for permanent vote by mail status.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 19-2.5 and 19-4 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/19-2.5)

Sec. 19-2.5. Notice for vote by mail ballot; exception.

(a) An election authority shall notify all qualified voters, not more than 90 days nor less than 45 days before a general or consolidated election, of the option for permanent vote by mail status using the following notice and including the application for permanent vote by mail status in subsection (b) of Section 19-3:

"You may apply to permanently be placed on vote by mail status using the attached application.".

(b) Instead of sending the notices and applications for permanent vote by mail status under subsection (a), an election authority may mail a vote by mail ballot to all qualified voters within its jurisdiction as provided in subsection (b) of Section 19-4.

(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)

(10 ILCS 5/19-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-4)

Sec. 19-4. Mailing or delivery of ballots; time.

(a) Immediately upon the receipt of such application either by mail or electronic means, not more than 90 days nor less than 5 days prior to such election, or by personal delivery not more than 90 days nor less than one day prior to such election, at the office of such election authority, it shall be the duty of such election authority to examine the records to ascertain whether or not such applicant is lawfully entitled to vote as requested, including a verification of the applicant's signature on file with the office of the election authority, and if found so to be entitled to vote, to post within one business day thereafter the name, street address, ward and precinct number or township and district number, as the case may be, of such applicant given on a list, the pages of which are to be numbered consecutively to be kept by such election authority for such purpose in a conspicuous, open and public place accessible to the public at the entrance of the office of such election authority, and in such a manner that such list may be viewed without necessity of requesting permission therefor. Within one day after posting the name and other information of an applicant for a vote by mail ballot, the election authority shall transmit by electronic means pursuant to a process established by the State Board of Elections that name and other posted information to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and other information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees.

(b) If an election authority elects to mail a vote by mail ballot to all qualified voters instead of sending the notice and application for permanent vote by mail status under subsection (a) of Section 19-4, the vote by mail ballots shall be sent in the same timeframes ballots are sent under subsection (c) of this Section. Before mailing the vote by mail ballots under this subsection and not more than 90 days nor less than 5 days prior to the election, or by personal delivery not more than 90 days nor less than one day prior to such election, at the office of the election authority, the election authority shall examine the records to ascertain which registered voters are entitled to vote and, if found so to be entitled to vote, post the name, street address, ward, and precinct number or township and district number, as the case may be, of those registered voters on a list, the pages of which are to be numbered consecutively to be kept by the election authority for election purposes in a conspicuous, open, and public place accessible to the public at the entrance of the office of the election authority and in a manner that the list may be viewed without necessity of requesting permission to view the list. Within one day after posting the names and other information of the registered voters to which vote by mail ballots will be automatically sent, the election authority shall transmit by electronic means pursuant to a process established by the State Board of Elections that name and other posted information to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those names and other information in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees.

A person who has never voted before may not be sent a vote by mail ballot under this subsection unless the person first provides the election authority with sufficient proof of identity and the election authority verifies the person's proof of identity.

A person may request, in writing, to the election authority that the person not receive a ballot sent under this subsection. The election authority shall keep a record of a person who has made a request under this paragraph and, in all future elections following receipt of the request, shall instead send the person who made the request a notice and application under subsection (a) of Section 19-2.5.

(c) Within 2 business days after posting a name and other information on the list within its office under subsection (a) or (b), but no sooner than 40 days before an election, the election authority shall mail, postage prepaid, or deliver in person in such office, or deliver via electronic transmission pursuant to Section 19-2.6, an official ballot or ballots if more than one are to be voted at said election. Mail delivery of Temporarily Absent Student ballot applications pursuant to Section 19-12.3 shall be by nonforwardable mail. However, for the consolidated election, vote by mail ballots for certain precincts may be delivered to applicants not less than 25 days before the election if so much time is required to have prepared and printed the ballots containing the names of persons nominated for offices at the consolidated primary.

The election authority shall enclose with each vote by mail ballot or application written instructions on how voting assistance shall be provided pursuant to Section 17-14 and a document, written and approved by the State Board of Elections, informing the vote by mail voter of the required postage for returning the application and ballot, and enumerating the circumstances under which a person is authorized to vote by vote by mail ballot pursuant to this Article; such document shall also include a statement informing the applicant that if he or she falsifies or is solicited by another to falsify his or her eligibility to cast a vote by mail ballot, such applicant or other is subject to penalties pursuant to Section 29-10 and Section 29-20 of the Election Code. Each election authority shall maintain a list of the name, street address, ward and precinct, or township and district number, as the case may be, of all applicants who have returned vote by mail ballots to such authority, and the name of such vote by mail voter shall be added to such list within one business day from receipt of such ballot. If the vote by mail ballot envelope indicates that the voter was assisted in casting the ballot, the name of the person so assisting shall be included on the list. The list, the pages of which are to be numbered consecutively, shall be kept by each election authority in a conspicuous, open, and public place accessible to the public at the entrance of the office of the election authority and in a manner that the list may be viewed without necessity of requesting permission for viewing.

(d) Each election authority shall maintain a list for each election of the voters to whom it has issued vote by mail ballots. The list shall be maintained for each precinct within the jurisdiction of the election authority. Prior to the opening of the polls on election day, the election authority shall deliver to the judges of election in each precinct the list of registered voters in that precinct to whom vote by mail ballots have been issued by mail.

(e) Each election authority shall maintain a list for each election of voters to whom it has issued temporarily absent student ballots. The list shall be maintained for each election jurisdiction within which such voters temporarily abide. Immediately after the close of the period during which application may be made by mail or electronic means for vote by mail ballots, each election authority shall mail to each other election authority within the State a certified list of all such voters temporarily abiding within the jurisdiction of the other election authority.

(f) In the event that the return address of an application for ballot by a physically incapacitated elector is that of a facility licensed or certified under the Nursing Home Care Act, the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the ID/DD Community Care Act, or the MC/DD Act, within the jurisdiction of the election authority, and the applicant is a registered voter in the precinct in which such facility is located, the ballots shall be prepared and transmitted to a responsible judge of election no later than 9 a.m. on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday immediately preceding the election as designated by the election authority under Section 19-12.2. Such judge shall deliver in person on the designated day the ballot to the applicant on the premises of the facility from which application was made. The election authority shall by mail notify the applicant in such facility that the ballot will be delivered by a judge of election on the designated day.

(g) All applications for vote by mail ballots shall be available at the office of the election authority for public inspection upon request from the time of receipt thereof by the election authority until 30 days after the election, except during the time such applications are kept in the office of the election authority pursuant to Section 19-7, and except during the time such applications are in the possession of the judges of election.

(h) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 30 of the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, or Stalking Act, neither the name nor the address of a program participant under that Act shall be included in any list of registered voters available to the public, including the lists referenced in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-292, eff. 1-1-22; 102-819, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1126, eff. 2-10-23.)