97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3812

 

Introduced 2/10/2012, by Sen. Don Harmon

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/4-50
10 ILCS 5/5-50
10 ILCS 5/6-100

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that nursing homes shall be designated grace period registration sites for nursing home residents. Provides that a deputy registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election authority. Effective immediately.


LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3812LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 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 4-50, 5-50, and 6-100 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/4-50)
7    Sec. 4-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
8provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
9shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
10for change of address during the period from the close of
11registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day
12before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
13unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
14registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
15in the office of the election authority or at a voter
16registration location specifically designated for this purpose
17by the election authority. The election authority shall
18register that individual, or change a registered voter's
19address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
20Article for registration and change of address. To provide
21nursing home residents an equal opportunity to exercise their
22right to vote, each nursing home shall be designated a grace
23period registration site solely for purposes of registering and

 

 

SB3812- 2 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1completing address changes for residents of that nursing home.
2A deputy registrar employed by each nursing home shall be
3designated to conduct all grace period registrations and
4address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an
5employee of the election authority. Upon completion of a grace
6period registration or address change, the deputy registrar
7shall deliver to the election authority within 24 hours all
8completed forms, and the election authority receiving the forms
9shall add the names of residents who have completed the forms
10to the list of residents entitled to vote during the regular
11nursing home voting period.
12    If a voter who registers or changes address during this
13grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
14occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
15period voting, either in person in the office of the election
16authority or at a location specifically designated for this
17purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
18discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
19be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
2019. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
21during the grace period shall be permitted to vote during the
22regular nursing home voting period and shall not be required to
23have submitted an absentee ballot request in advance.
24    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
25the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
26address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as

 

 

SB3812- 3 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
2maintain those names and that information in an electronic
3format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
4State and local political committees. The name of each person
5issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
6appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
7ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
8and 18-5.
9    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
10permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
11respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
12who register or change address during the grace period must be
13transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
14ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
15counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
16determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
17the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which
18the ballots were opened.
19(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
20    (10 ILCS 5/5-50)
21    Sec. 5-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
22provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
23shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
24for change of address during the period from the close of
25registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day

 

 

SB3812- 4 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
2unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
3registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
4in the office of the election authority or at a voter
5registration location specifically designated for this purpose
6by the election authority. The election authority shall
7register that individual, or change a registered voter's
8address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
9Article for registration and change of address. To permit
10nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
11registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
12registration sites for nursing home residents. A deputy
13registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to
14conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for
15that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election
16authority. Upon completion of a grace period registration or
17address change, the deputy registrar shall deliver to the
18election authority within 24 hours all completed forms, and the
19election authority receiving the forms shall add the names of
20residents who have completed the forms to the list of residents
21entitled to vote during the regular nursing home voting period.
22     If a voter who registers or changes address during this
23grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
24occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
25period voting, either in person in the office of the election
26authority or at a location specifically designated for this

 

 

SB3812- 5 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
2discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
3be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
419. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
5during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
6home voting period.
7    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
8the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
9address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as
10the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
11maintain those names and that information in an electronic
12format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
13State and local political committees. The name of each person
14issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
15appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
16ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
17and 18-5.
18    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
19permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
20respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
21who register or change address during the grace period must be
22transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
23ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
24counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
25determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
26the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which

 

 

SB3812- 6 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1the ballots were opened.
2(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
3    (10 ILCS 5/6-100)
4    Sec. 6-100. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
5provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
6shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
7for change of address during the period from the close of
8registration for a primary or election and until the 7th day
9before the primary or election. During this grace period, an
10unregistered qualified elector may register to vote, and a
11registered voter may submit a change of address form, in person
12in the office of the election authority or at a voter
13registration location specifically designated for this purpose
14by the election authority. The election authority shall
15register that individual, or change a registered voter's
16address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
17Article for registration and change of address. To permit
18nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
19registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
20registration sites for nursing home residents. A deputy
21registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to
22conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for
23that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election
24authority. Upon completion of a grace period registration or
25address change, the deputy registrar shall deliver to the

 

 

SB3812- 7 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1election authority within 24 hours all completed forms, and the
2election authority receiving the forms shall add the names of
3residents who have completed the forms to the list of residents
4entitled to vote during the regular nursing home voting period.
5    If a voter who registers or changes address during this
6grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
7occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
8period voting, either in person in the office of the election
9authority or at a location specifically designated for this
10purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
11discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
12be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
1319. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
14during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
15home voting period.
16    Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
17the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
18address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as
19the case may be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall
20maintain those names and that information in an electronic
21format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to
22State and local political committees. The name of each person
23issued a grace period ballot shall also be placed on the
24appropriate precinct list of persons to whom absentee and early
25ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
26and 18-5.

 

 

SB3812- 8 -LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b

1    A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
2permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
3respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
4who register or change address during the grace period must be
5transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central
6ballot counting location and shall not be transmitted to and
7counted at precinct polling places. The grace period ballots
8determined to be valid shall be added to the vote totals for
9the precincts for which they were cast in the order in which
10the ballots were opened.
11(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13becoming law.