10 ILCS 5/7-9

(10 ILCS 5/7-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-9)

Sec. 7-9. County central committee; county and State conventions.

(a) For a State central committee organized under Alternative A, on the 29th day next succeeding the primary at which committeepersons are elected, the county central committee of each political party shall meet within the county and proceed to organize by electing from its own number a chair and either from its own number, or otherwise, such other officers as such committee may deem necessary or expedient. For a State central committee organized under Alternative B, on a date that is not earlier than the 29th day after, nor later than the 50th day after, the date of the primary at which committeepersons are elected, the county central committee of each political party shall meet within the county and proceed to organize by electing from its own number a chair and either from its own number, or otherwise, such other officers as such committee may deem necessary or expedient. Such meeting of the county central committee shall be known as the county convention.

The chair of each county committee shall, within 10 days after the organization, forward to the State Board of Elections, the names and post office addresses of the officers, precinct committeepersons and representative committeepersons elected by his political party.

The county convention of each political party shall choose delegates to the State convention of its party, if the party chooses to hold a State convention; but in any county having within its limits any city having a population of 200,000, or over the delegates from such city shall be chosen by wards, the ward committeepersons from the respective wards choosing the number of delegates to which such ward is entitled on the basis prescribed in paragraph (e) of this Section such delegates to be members of the delegation to the State convention from such county. In all counties containing a population of 2,000,000 or more outside of cities having a population of 200,000 or more, the delegates from each of the townships or parts of townships as the case may be shall be chosen by townships or parts of townships as the case may be, the township committeepersons from the respective townships or parts of townships as the case may be choosing the number of delegates to which such townships or parts of townships as the case may be are entitled, on the basis prescribed in paragraph (e) of this Section such delegates to be members of the delegation to the State convention from such county.

Each member of the State Central Committee of a political party which elects its members by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of Section 7-8 shall be a delegate to the State Convention, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, ex officio.

Each member of the State Central Committee of a political party which elects its members by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of Section 7-8 may appoint 2 delegates to the State Convention, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, who must be residents of the member's Congressional District.

(b) State conventions may be held within 180 days after the general primary in the year 2000 and every 4 years thereafter. In the year 1998, and every 4 years thereafter, the chair of a State central committee may issue a call for a State convention within 180 days after the general primary.

The State convention of each political party, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, has power to make nominations of candidates of its political party for the electors of President and Vice President of the United States, and to adopt any party platform, and, to the extent determined by the State central committee as provided in Section 7-14, to choose and select delegates and alternate delegates at large to national nominating conventions. The State Central Committee may adopt rules to provide for and govern the procedures of the State convention.

(c) The chair and secretary of each State convention, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, shall, within 2 days thereafter, transmit to the State Board of Elections of this State a certificate setting forth the names and addresses of all persons nominated by such State convention for electors of President and Vice President of the United States, and of any persons selected by the State convention for delegates and alternate delegates at large to national nominating conventions; and the names of such candidates so chosen by such State convention for electors of President and Vice President of the United States, shall be caused by the State Board of Elections to be printed upon the official ballot at the general election, in the manner required by law, and shall be certified to the various county clerks of the proper counties in the manner as provided in Section 7-60 of this Article 7 for the certifying of the names of persons nominated by any party for State offices. If and as long as this Act prescribes that the names of such electors be not printed on the ballot, then the names of such electors shall be certified in such manner as may be prescribed by the parts of this Act applicable thereto.

(d) Each convention, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, may perform all other functions inherent to such political organization and not inconsistent with this Article.

(e) At least 33 days before the date of a State convention, if the party chooses to hold a State convention, the chair of the State central committee of each political party shall file in the principal office of the State Board of Elections a call for the State convention. Such call shall state, among other things, the time and place (designating the building or hall) for holding the State convention. Such call shall be signed by the chair and attested by the secretary of the committee. In such convention each county shall be entitled to one delegate for each 500 ballots voted by the primary electors of the party in such county at the primary to be held next after the issuance of such call; and if in such county, less than 500 ballots are so voted or if the number of ballots so voted is not exactly a multiple of 500, there shall be one delegate for such group which is less than 500, or for such group representing the number of votes over the multiple of 500, which delegate shall have 1/500 of one vote for each primary vote so represented by him. The call for such convention shall set forth this paragraph (e) of Section 7-9 in full and shall direct that the number of delegates to be chosen be calculated in compliance herewith and that such number of delegates be chosen.

(f) All precinct, township and ward committeepersons when elected as provided in this Section shall serve as though elected at large irrespective of any changes that may be made in precinct, township or ward boundaries and the voting strength of each committeeperson shall remain as provided in this Section for the entire time for which he is elected.

(g) The officers elected at any convention provided for in this Section shall serve until their successors are elected as provided in this Act.

(h) A special meeting of any central committee may be called by the chair, or by not less than 25% of the members of such committee, by giving 5 days notice to members of such committee in writing designating the time and place at which such special meeting is to be held and the business which it is proposed to present at such special meeting.

(i) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, whenever a vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeperson because no one was elected to that office or because the precinct committeeperson ceases to reside in the precinct or for any other reason, the chair of the county central committee of the appropriate political party may fill the vacancy in such office by appointment of a qualified resident of the county and the appointed precinct committeeperson shall serve as though elected; however, for a State central committee organized under Alternative A, no such appointment may be made between the general primary election and the 30th day after the general primary election and for a State central committee organized under Alternative B, no such appointment may be made between the general primary election and the county convention following the general primary election.

(j) If the number of Congressional Districts in the State of Illinois is reduced as a result of reapportionment of Congressional Districts following a federal decennial census, the State Central Committeemen and Committeewomen of a political party which elects its State Central Committee by either Alternative A or by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of Section 7-8 who were previously elected shall continue to serve as if no reapportionment had occurred until the expiration of their terms.

(Source: P.A. 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)