Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
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ELECTIONS
(10 ILCS 5/) Election Code.

10 ILCS 5/11-8

    (10 ILCS 5/11-8)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2029)
    Sec. 11-8. Vote centers.
    (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, election authorities shall establish at least one location to be located at an office of the election authority or in the largest municipality within its jurisdiction where all voters in its jurisdiction are allowed to vote on election day during polling place hours, regardless of the precinct in which they are registered, and that location shall provide curbside voting. Election authorities may establish more than one vote center, but in jurisdictions with a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants, the election authority shall establish at least 2 vote centers. An election authority establishing such a location under this Section shall identify the location and any health and safety requirements by the 40th day preceding an election and certify such to the State Board of Elections.
    (b) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2029.
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21; 102-1109, eff. 12-21-22; 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)

10 ILCS 5/Art. 12

 
    (10 ILCS 5/Art. 12 heading)
ARTICLE 12. NOTICE OF ELECTION

10 ILCS 5/12-1

    (10 ILCS 5/12-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 12-1)
    Sec. 12-1. At least 60 days prior to each general and consolidated election, the election authority shall provide public notice, calculated to reach elderly voters and voters with disabilities, of the availability of registration and voting aids under the Federal Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, of the availability of assistance in marking the ballot, procedures for voting by vote by mail ballot, and procedures for voting early by personal appearance.
    At least 30 days before any general election, and at least 20 days before any special congressional election, the county clerk shall publish a notice of the election in 2 or more newspapers published in the county, city, village, incorporated town or town, as the case may be, or if there is no such newspaper, then in any 2 or more newspapers published in the county and having a general circulation throughout the community. The notice may be substantially as follows:
    Notice is hereby given that on (give date), at (give the place of holding the election and the name of the precinct or district) in the county of (name county), an election will be held for (give the title of the several offices to be filled), which election will be open at 6:00 a.m. and continued open until 7:00 p.m. of that day.
    Dated at .... on (insert date).
(Source: P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

10 ILCS 5/12-3

    (10 ILCS 5/12-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 12-3)
    Sec. 12-3. In any city, village or incorporated town operating under Article 6 of this Act, the Board of Election Commissioners shall give timely notice through the press of the time and place of election in each precinct or consolidated area of such city, village or incorporated town.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 2492.)

10 ILCS 5/12-4

    (10 ILCS 5/12-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 12-4)
    Sec. 12-4. Not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the consolidated and nonpartisan elections, each election authority shall publish notice of the election of officers of each political subdivision to be conducted in his or its jurisdiction on such election date. The notice of election shall be published once in one or more newspapers published in each political subdivision, and if there is no such newspaper, then published once in a local, community newspaper having general circulation in the subdivision, and also once in a newspaper published in the county wherein the political subdivisions or portions thereof, having such elections are situated.
    The notice shall be substantially in the form prescribed in Section 12-1, and may include notice of the location of the precincts and polling places within or including part of the political subdivision in which the election is to be conducted.
    Not less than 10 days before each such election, the election authority shall publish notice of the precincts and the location of the polling places where the election will be conducted for political subdivisions wholly or partially within its jurisdiction. The election authority shall cause publication in the manner heretofore prescribed for the notice of election.
    If, within the 10 days before any election, an election authority changes a polling location, the election authority shall send notice by electronic mail or phone call to the township committeeperson, ward committeeperson, or precinct committeepersons, as applicable, as soon as the location of the polling place is changed.
(Source: P.A. 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)

10 ILCS 5/12-5

    (10 ILCS 5/12-5) (from Ch. 46, par. 12-5)
    Sec. 12-5. Notice for public questions.
    (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), for all elections held after July 1, 1999, notice of public questions shall be required only as set forth in this Section or as set forth in Section 17-3 or 19-3 of the School Code. Not more than 60 days nor less than 10 days before the date of a regular election at which a public question is to be submitted to the voters of a political or governmental subdivision, and at least 20 days before an emergency referendum, the election authority shall publish notice of the referendum. The notice shall be published once in a local, community newspaper having general circulation in the political or governmental subdivision. The notice shall also be given at least 10 days before the date of the election by posting a copy of the notice at the principal office of the election authority. The local election official shall also post a copy of the notice at the principal office of the political or governmental subdivision, or if there is no principal office at the building in which the governing body of the political or governmental subdivision held its first meeting of the calendar year in which the referendum is being held. The election authority and the political or governmental subdivision may, but are not required to, post the notice electronically on their World Wide Web pages. The notice, which shall appear over the name or title of the election authority, shall be substantially in the following form:
        NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the election to be
    
held on (insert day of the week), (insert date of election), the following proposition will be submitted to the voters of (name of political or governmental subdivision):
    (insert the public question as it will appear on the
    
ballot)
        The polls at the election will be open at 6:00
    
o'clock A.M. and will continue to be open until 7:00 o'clock P.M. of that day.
        Dated (date of notice)
        (Name or title of the election authority)
The notice shall also include any additional information required by the statute authorizing the public question. The notice may include an explanation, in neutral and plain language, of the question and its purposes supplied by the governing body of the political or governmental subdivision to whose voters the question is to be submitted. The notice shall set forth the precincts and polling places at which the referendum will be conducted only in the case of emergency referenda.
    (b) Notice of any public question published in a local, community newspaper having general circulation in the political or governmental subdivision to which such public question relates more than 30 days but not more than 35 days prior to the general election held on November 8, 2016 that otherwise complies with the requirements of this Section is sufficient notice to satisfy the newspaper publication requirement of this Section, such notice shall for all purposes be deemed to have been given in accordance with this Section, any bonds approved by the voters at such election are hereby authorized to be issued in accordance with applicable law without further referendum approval and taxes to be levied pursuant to any limiting rate increases approved by the voters at such election are hereby authorized to be levied and extended without further referendum approval.
(Source: P.A. 99-935, eff. 2-17-17; 100-298, eff. 1-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)

10 ILCS 5/12-6

    (10 ILCS 5/12-6) (from Ch. 46, par. 12-6)
    Sec. 12-6. Whenever a requirement in this Code for the publication of any notice of an election cannot be complied with because of the absence of any qualified newspaper of local or general circulation in accordance with such requirements, notice shall be given by posting the required notice in 5 public places in the political subdivision. Notwithstanding any other publication of notice requirement, notice of municipal elections and referenda in municipalities with a population of less than 500 persons may be given by posting the required notice in 5 public places in the municipality in lieu of publication.
(Source: P.A. 81-963.)

10 ILCS 5/Art. 12A

 
    (10 ILCS 5/Art. 12A heading)
ARTICLE 12A.
VOTERS' GUIDES
(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

10 ILCS 5/12A-2

    (10 ILCS 5/12A-2)
    Sec. 12A-2. Definitions. As used in this Article, unless the context otherwise requires:
    "Board" means the State Board of Elections.
    "Internet Guide" refers to information disseminated by the State Board of Elections on a website, pursuant to Section 12A-5.
    "Local election authority" means a county clerk or board of election commissioners.
    "Public question" or "question" means any question, proposition, or referendum submitted to the voters under Article 28 of this Code.
    "Statewide candidate" means any candidate who runs for a statewide office, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, United States President, or United States Senator.
    "Voters' guide" means any information disseminated by the State Board of Elections pursuant to Section 12A-5.
(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)

10 ILCS 5/12A-5

    (10 ILCS 5/12A-5)
    Sec. 12A-5. Internet Guide. The Board shall publish, no later than the 45th day before a general election in which a statewide candidate appears on the ballot, an Internet website with the following information:
        (1) The date and time of the general election.
        (2) Requirements for a citizen to qualify as an
    
elector.
        (3) The deadline for registering as an elector in the
    
State of Illinois for the next election.
        (4) Contact information for local election
    
authorities.
        (5) A description of the following offices, when they
    
appear on the ballot, including their term of office, basic duties, and base salary: United States President, United States Senator, United States Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Illinois Supreme Court Judge, and Illinois Appellate Court Judge. The Board shall not include information on any office other than the offices listed in this item (5).
        (6) The names and party affiliations of qualified
    
candidates for the following offices, when these offices appear on the ballot: United States President, United States Senator, United States Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Illinois Supreme Court Judge, and Illinois Appellate Court Judge. The Board shall not include information on candidates for any office other than the offices listed in this item (6).
        (7) Challenged candidates. Where a candidate's right
    
to appear on the general election ballot has been challenged, and any appeal remains pending regarding those challenges, the challenged candidate may appear on the Internet Guide, subject to the other provisions of Section 12A-10. In this instance, the Board may note that the candidate's candidacy has been challenged and that he or she may be removed from the ballot prior to election day. If the candidate is removed from the ballot prior to election day, the Board shall remove the candidate's name and other information from the Internet Guide.
        (8) Any personal statement and photograph submitted
    
by a candidate named in the Internet Guide, subject to Sections 12A-10 and 12A-35.
        (9) A means by which an elector may determine what
    
type of balloting equipment is used by his or her local election authority, and the instructions for properly using that equipment.
        (10) The text of any public question that may appear
    
on the ballot.
        (11) A mechanism by which electors may determine in
    
which congressional and judicial districts they reside. The Internet Guide shall allow visitors to search for candidates by office (e.g., Governor or United States Senator) and candidate's name.
        (12) Information concerning how to become an election
    
judge.
    The Board shall archive the contents of the Internet Guide for a period of at least 5 years.
    In addition, the Board has the discretion to publish a voters' guide before a general primary election in the manner provided in this Article.
(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)