97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0021

 

Introduced , by Rep. Karen May

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
ILCON Art. III, Sec. 8 new

    Proposes to amend the Suffrage and Elections Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides for elections to recall State executive branch officers except for the Governor, members of the General Assembly, and elected salaried officers of units of local government. Provides for successor elections to fill the vacant term of a recalled officer or member. Provides for petitions to be filed with the State Board of Elections and sets requirements for petitions. Provides for the State Board of Elections to proclaim the election and set the date. Provides for objections to petitions. Provides that the recall provisions are self-executing and judicially enforceable. Effective upon being declared adopted.


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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
6electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general
7election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption of
8this resolution a proposition to add Section 8 to Article III
9of the Illinois Constitution as follows:
 
10
ARTICLE III
11
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

12    (ILCON Art. III, Sec. 8 new)
13SECTION 8. RECALL OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY, AND LOCAL OFFICERS
15    (a) Electors may petition for the recall of an executive
16branch officer as identified in Section 1 of Article V except
17for the Governor, a member of the General Assembly, or a
18salaried elected officer of a unit of local government. If the
19recall petition is valid, on a separate ballot the question
20"Shall (name of person) be recalled from the office of
21(office)" must be submitted to the electors, along with the
22names of any candidates certified for the successor election,
23at a special election called by the State Board of Elections or

 

 

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1at a regularly scheduled election to occur not more than 100
2days after the date of certification of the recall petition.
3The officer or member subject to recall may be a candidate in
4the successor election.
5    (b) An executive branch officer, a member of the General
6Assembly, or a salaried elected officer of a unit of local
7government is immediately removed upon certification of the
8recall election results if a majority of the electors voting on
9the question vote to recall the officer or member. If an
10officer or member is recalled, the candidate who receives the
11highest number of votes in the successor election is elected
12successor for the balance of the term. Once a recall election
13petition is certified, the petition may not be withdrawn and
14another recall petition may not be initiated against that
15officer or member during the remainder of his or her current
16term of office.
17    (c) Any elector of the State, or the applicable Legislative
18or Representative District or unit of local government, may
19file an affidavit with the State Board of Elections providing
20notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall an officer
21or member no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the
22officer's or member's current term of office. An affidavit must
23be filed by an elector of the Legislative or Representative
24District or unit of local government for which the recall
25petition will be circulated. The affidavit must identify the
26name of the officer or member and the office to be recalled,

 

 

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1the name and address of the proponents of the recall petition,
2and the date of filing with the State Board of Elections. A
3recall petition shall not be circulated prior to filing the
4affidavit, and a recall petition must be filed with the State
5Board of Elections no later than 160 days after filing the
6affidavit.
7    (d) A petition to recall an executive branch officer must
8include signatures of electors of the State equal to at least
912% of the total votes cast for the office in the election at
10which the officer or member was elected, with signatures equal
11to at least 1% of the vote for the office from at least 5
12separate counties. A petition to recall a member of the General
13Assembly must be signed by electors of the applicable
14Legislative District or Representative District equal to at
15least 20% of the total votes cast for the office in the
16election at which the member was elected. A petition to recall
17a salaried officer of a unit of local government must be signed
18by electors of the unit of local government equal to at least
1920% of the total votes cast for the office in the election at
20which the officer was elected. The form, circulation, and
21manner of filing a recall petition shall comply with the
22requirements provided by law for a statewide advisory public
23question, except the deadlines set forth in this Section.
24    (e) A recall petition is valid unless an objection is made
25within 45 days after the date the petition is filed, and an
26objection to the recall petition may be made in the same manner

 

 

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1as to a candidate for the office subject to recall. The State
2Board of Elections shall certify the recall petition not more
3than 105 days after the date the recall petition is filed. Any
4recall petition or election pending on the date of the next
5general election at which a candidate for the office subject to
6recall is elected is moot.
7    (f) If a recall election is initiated, the name of no
8successor candidate may appear on the ballot unless a
9nominating petition has been filed with the State Board of
10Elections no more than 40 days after filing of the recall
11petition. The nominating petition of an established party
12candidate must contain the same number of signatures and be
13circulated in the same manner as an established party candidate
14for nomination to the office subject to recall, except the
15petition must be circulated no more than 40 days prior to the
16last day for filing nomination petitions. The nominating
17petition of an independent or new party candidate must contain
18the same number of signatures and be circulated in the same
19manner as an independent or new party candidate, respectively,
20for election to the office subject to recall, except the
21petition must be circulated no more than 40 days prior to the
22last day for filing nomination petitions. A nominating petition
23may be objected to in the same manner as a candidate for the
24office subject to recall, unless otherwise provided by law. The
25State Board of Elections shall certify a valid nominating
26petition not more than 105 days after the date the recall

 

 

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1petition is filed.
2    (g) An election to determine whether to recall an executive
3officer, a member of the General Assembly, or an officer of a
4unit of local government and to elect a successor shall be
5proclaimed by the State Board of Elections and held not less
6than 60 days and no more than 100 days after the date of
7certification of the recall petition.
8    (h) The provisions of this Section are self-executing and
9judicially enforceable.
 
10
SCHEDULE
11    This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being
12declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois
13Constitutional Amendment Act.