10 ILCS 5/6-50.2

(10 ILCS 5/6-50.2) (from Ch. 46, par. 6-50.2)

Sec. 6-50.2. (a) The board of election commissioners shall appoint all precinct committeepersons in the election jurisdiction as deputy registrars who may accept the registration of any qualified resident of the State, except during the 27 days preceding an election.

The board of election commissioners shall appoint each of the following named persons as deputy registrars upon the written request of such persons:

1. The chief librarian, or a qualified person designated by the chief librarian, of any public library situated within the election jurisdiction, who may accept the registrations of any qualified resident of the State, at such library.

2. The principal, or a qualified person designated by the principal, of any high school, elementary school, or vocational school situated within the election jurisdiction, who may accept the registrations of any resident of the State, at such school. The board of election commissioners shall notify every principal and vice-principal of each high school, elementary school, and vocational school situated in the election jurisdiction of their eligibility to serve as deputy registrars and offer training courses for service as deputy registrars at conveniently located facilities at least 4 months prior to every election.

3. The president, or a qualified person designated by the president, of any university, college, community college, academy, or other institution of learning situated within the State, who may accept the registrations of any resident of the election jurisdiction, at such university, college, community college, academy, or institution.

4. A duly elected or appointed official of a bona fide labor organization, or a reasonable number of qualified members designated by such official, who may accept the registrations of any qualified resident of the State.

5. A duly elected or appointed official of a bona fide State civic organization, as defined and determined by rule of the State Board of Elections, or qualified members designated by such official, who may accept the registration of any qualified resident of the State. In determining the number of deputy registrars that shall be appointed, the board of election commissioners shall consider the population of the jurisdiction, the size of the organization, the geographic size of the jurisdiction, convenience for the public, the existing number of deputy registrars in the jurisdiction and their location, the registration activities of the organization and the need to appoint deputy registrars to assist and facilitate the registration of non-English speaking individuals. In no event shall a board of election commissioners fix an arbitrary number applicable to every civic organization requesting appointment of its members as deputy registrars. The State Board of Elections shall by rule provide for certification of bona fide State civic organizations. Such appointments shall be made for a period not to exceed 2 years, terminating on the first business day of the month following the month of the general election, and shall be valid for all periods of voter registration as provided by this Code during the terms of such appointments.

6. The Director of Healthcare and Family Services, or a reasonable number of employees designated by the Director and located at public aid offices, who may accept the registration of any qualified resident of the election jurisdiction at any such public aid office.

7. The Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, or a reasonable number of employees designated by the Director and located at unemployment offices, who may accept the registration of any qualified resident of the election jurisdiction at any such unemployment office. If the request to be appointed as deputy registrar is denied, the board of election commissioners shall, within 10 days after the date the request is submitted, provide the affected individual or organization with written notice setting forth the specific reasons or criteria relied upon to deny the request to be appointed as deputy registrar.

8. The president of any corporation, as defined by the Business Corporation Act of 1983, or a reasonable number of employees designated by such president, who may accept the registrations of any qualified resident of the State.

The board of election commissioners may appoint as many additional deputy registrars as it considers necessary. The board of election commissioners shall appoint such additional deputy registrars in such manner that the convenience of the public is served, giving due consideration to both population concentration and area. Some of the additional deputy registrars shall be selected so that there are an equal number from each of the 2 major political parties in the election jurisdiction. The board of election commissioners, in appointing an additional deputy registrar, shall make the appointment from a list of applicants submitted by the Chair of the County Central Committee of the applicant's political party. A Chair of a County Central Committee shall submit a list of applicants to the board by November 30 of each year. The board may require a Chair of a County Central Committee to furnish a supplemental list of applicants.

Deputy registrars may accept registrations at any time other than the 27-day period preceding an election. All persons appointed as deputy registrars shall be registered voters within the election jurisdiction and shall take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of registration officer to the best of my ability and that I will register no person nor cause the registration of any person except upon his personal application before me. .................................... (Signature of Registration Officer)" This oath shall be administered and certified to by one of the commissioners or by the executive director or by some person designated by the board of election commissioners, and shall immediately thereafter be filed with the board of election commissioners. The members of the board of election commissioners and all persons authorized by them under the provisions of this Article to take registrations, after themselves taking and subscribing to the above oath, are authorized to take or administer such oaths and execute such affidavits as are required by this Article.

Appointments of deputy registrars under this Section, except precinct committeepersons, shall be for 2-year terms, commencing on December 1 following the general election of each even-numbered year, except that the terms of the initial appointments shall be until December 1st following the next general election. Appointments of precinct committeepersons shall be for terms commencing on the date of the county convention following the general primary at which they were elected and ending on the date immediately preceding the date of the next county convention, which may be held by audio or video conference. The county clerk shall issue a certificate of appointment to each deputy registrar, and shall maintain in his office for public inspection a list of the names of all appointees.

(b) The board of election commissioners shall be responsible for training all deputy registrars appointed pursuant to subsection (a), at times and locations reasonably convenient for both the board of election commissioners and such appointees. The board of election commissioners shall be responsible for certifying and supervising all deputy registrars appointed pursuant to subsection (a). Deputy registrars appointed under subsection (a) shall be subject to removal for cause.

(c) Completed registration materials under the control of deputy registrars appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be returned to the appointing election authority by first-class mail within 2 business days or personal delivery within 7 days, except that completed registration materials received by the deputy registrars during the period between the 35th and 28th day preceding an election shall be returned by the deputy registrars to the appointing election authority within 48 hours after receipt thereof. The completed registration materials received by the deputy registrars on the 28th day preceding an election shall be returned by the deputy registrars within 24 hours after receipt thereof. Unused materials shall be returned by deputy registrars appointed pursuant to paragraph 4 of subsection (a), not later than the next working day following the close of registration.

(d) The county clerk or board of election commissioners, as the case may be, must provide any additional forms requested by any deputy registrar regardless of the number of unaccounted registration forms the deputy registrar may have in his or her possession.

(e) No deputy registrar shall engage in any electioneering or the promotion of any cause during the performance of his or her duties.

(f) The board of election commissioners shall not be criminally or civilly liable for the acts or omissions of any deputy registrar. Such deputy registrars shall not be deemed to be employees of the board of election commissioners.

(g) Completed registration materials returned by deputy registrars for persons residing outside the election jurisdiction shall be transmitted by the board of election commissioners within 2 days after receipt to the election authority of the person's election jurisdiction of residence.

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)