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90_HB0556 10 ILCS 5/7-43 from Ch. 46, par. 7-43 10 ILCS 5/7-44 from Ch. 46, par. 7-44 Amends the Election Code to eliminate the requirement that a voter declare party affiliation when voting at a primary election. Provides that the voter shall receive the primary ballot of each of the established political parties nominating candidates for office at the primary election, but may cast a ballot of only one political party, except in certain cases involving statewide political parties and political parties established only within a political subdivision. LRB9000848MWpc LRB9000848MWpc 1 AN ACT to amend the Election Code by changing Sections 2 7-43 and 7-44. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing 6 Sections 7-43 and 7-44 as follows: 7 (10 ILCS 5/7-43) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-43) 8 Sec. 7-43. Every person having resided in this State 6 9 months and in the precinct 30 days next preceding any primary 10 therein who shall be a citizen of the United States of the 11 age of 18 or more years, shall be entitled to vote at such 12 primary. 13 The following regulations shall be applicable to 14 primaries: 15 No person shall be entitled to vote at a primary: 16(a) Unless he declares his party affiliations as17required by this Article.18(b) Who shall have signed the petition for nomination of19a candidate of any party with which he does not affiliate,20when such candidate is to be voted for at the primary.21 (a)(c)Who shall have signed the nominating papers of 22 an independent candidate for any office for which office 23 candidates for nomination are to be voted for at such 24 primary. 25 (b)(c.5)If that person has participated in the town 26 political party caucus, under Section 45-50 of the Township 27 Code, of another political party by signing an affidavit of 28 voters attending the caucus within 45 days before the first 29 day of the calendar month in which the primary is held. 30(d) If he has voted at a primary held under this Article317 of another political party within a period of 23 calendar-2- LRB9000848MWpc 1months next preceding the calendar month in which such2primary is held: Provided, participation by a primary elector3in a primary of a political party which, under the provisions4of Section 7-2 of this Article, is a political party within a5city, village or incorporated town or town only and entitled6hereunder to make nominations of candidates for city, village7or incorporated town or town offices only, and for no other8office or offices, shall not disqualify such primary elector9from participating in other primaries of his party: And,10provided, that no qualified voter shall be precluded from11participating in the primary of any purely city, village or12incorporated town or town political party under the13provisions of Section 7-2 of this Article by reason of such14voter having voted at the primary of another political party15within a period of 23 calendar months next preceding the16calendar month in which he seeks to participate is held.17 (c)(e)In cities, villages and incorporated towns 18 having a board of election commissioners only voters 19 registered as provided by Article 6 of this Act shall be 20 entitled to vote at such primary. 21 (d)(f)No person shall be entitled to vote at a primary 22 unless he is registered under the provisions of Articles 4, 5 23 or 6 of this Act, when his registration is required by any of 24 said Articles to entitle him to vote at the election with 25 reference to which the primary is held. 26 (Source: P.A. 89-331, eff. 8-17-95.) 27 (10 ILCS 5/7-44) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-44) 28 Sec. 7-44. (a) Any person desiring to vote at a primary 29 shall state his name and,residenceand party affiliationto 30 the primary judges, one of whom shall thereupon announce the 31 same in a distinct tone of voice, sufficiently loud to be 32 heard by all persons in the polling place. When article 4, 5 33 or 6 is applicable the Certificate of Registered Voter -3- LRB9000848MWpc 1 therein prescribed shall be made and signed and the official 2 poll record shall be made. If the person desiring to vote is 3 not challenged, one of the primary judges shall give to him 4 one, and only one,primary ballot of each of the established 5 political parties nominating candidates for office at the 6 primary election, but the voter may cast a ballot of only one 7 political party, except as otherwise provided in subsection 8 (b)party with which he declares himself affiliated, on the 9 back of which thesuchprimary judge shall endorse his or her 10 initials in such manner that they may be seen when the 11 primary ballot is properly folded. If the person desiring to 12 vote is challenged he shall not receive a primary ballot from 13 the primary judges until he or she shall have established his 14 or her right to vote ashereinafterprovided in this Article. 15No person who refuses to state his party affiliation shall be16allowed to vote at a primary.17 (b) A person who casts a ballot ofdeclares his party18affiliation witha statewide established political partyand19requests a primary ballot of such party may nonetheless also20declare his affiliation with a political party established21only within a political subdivision, andmay also vote in the 22 primary of asuchlocal political party established only 23 within a political subdivision on the same election day, 24 provided that thesuchvoter may not vote in bothsuchparty 25 primaries with respect to offices of the same political 26 subdivision. However, no person casting a ballot of 27declaring his affiliation witha statewide established 28 political party may vote in the primary of any other 29 statewide political party on the same election day. A space 30 shall be provided on the primary ballot indicating for which 31 political party the voter cast his or her votes and the voter 32 may mark the space on the ballot of only one political party 33 indicating that party, except as otherwise provided in this 34 Section. If the voter desires to cast his or her ballot of a -4- LRB9000848MWpc 1 Statewide political party and a political party established 2 only within a political subdivision, the voter may indicate 3 that choice by marking the space provided on the ballot of 4 the Statewide political party and by also marking the space 5 provided on the ballot of the political party established 6 only within a political subdivision. If the voter does not 7 mark the space on the primary ballot indicating the political 8 party in which the voter cast his or her ballot, or marks 9 more than one such space, the judges of election shall count 10 only the votes of the political party in which the voter cast 11 a vote for the office nearest the top of the ballot. 12 (Source: P.A. 81-1535.)