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90_SB1441 10 ILCS 5/19-2 from Ch. 46, par. 19-2 10 ILCS 5/19-4 from Ch. 46, par. 19-4 Amends the Election Code. Allows electors (in certain circumstances) to apply to the county clerk or the Board of Election Commissioners for an absentee ballot by mail not more than 40 nor less than 7 days (now 5 days) before the election. LRB9010233JMmgA LRB9010233JMmgA 1 AN ACT to amend the Election Code by changing Sections 2 19-2 and 19-4. 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 19-2 and 19-4 as follows: 7 (10 ILCS 5/19-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-2) 8 Sec. 19-2. Any elector as defined in Section 19-1 9 expecting to be absent from the county of his residence or 10 any such elector who because of being appointed a judge of 11 election in a precinct other than the precinct in which he 12 resides or who because of physical incapacity or the tenets 13 of his religion in the observance of a religious holiday or 14 who because of election duties for the office of an Election 15 Authority, the State Board of Elections, or a law enforcement 16 agency will be unable to be present at the polls on the day 17 of such election may by mail, not more than 40 nor less than 18 75days prior to the date of such election, or by personal 19 delivery not more than 40 nor less than one day prior to the 20 date of such election, make application to the county clerk 21 or to the Board of Election Commissioners for an official 22 ballot for the voter's precinct to be voted at such election. 23 (Source: P.A. 84-808.) 24 (10 ILCS 5/19-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-4) 25 Sec. 19-4. Mailing or delivery of ballots - Time.) 26 Immediately upon the receipt of such application either by 27 mail, not more than 40 days nor less than 75days prior to 28 such election, or by personal delivery not more than 40 days 29 nor less than one day prior to such election, at the office 30 of such election authority, it shall be the duty of such -2- LRB9010233JMmgA 1 election authority to examine the records to ascertain 2 whether or not such applicant is lawfully entitled to vote as 3 requested, and if found so to be, to post within one business 4 day thereafter the name, street address, ward and precinct 5 number or township and district number, as the case may be, 6 of such applicant given on a list, the pages of which are to 7 be numbered consecutively to be kept by such election 8 authority for such purpose in a conspicuous, open and public 9 place accessible to the public at the entrance of the office 10 of such election authority, and in such a manner that such 11 list may be viewed without necessity of requesting permission 12 therefor, and within 2 business days thereafter to mail, 13 postage prepaid, or deliver in person in such office an 14 official ballot or ballots if more than one are to be voted 15 at said election. Mail delivery of Temporarily Absent 16 Student ballot applications pursuant to Section 19-12.3 shall 17 be by nonforwardable mail. However, for the consolidated 18 election, absentee ballots for certain precincts may be 19 delivered to applicants not less than 25 days before the 20 election if so much time is required to have prepared and 21 printed the ballots containing the names of persons nominated 22 for offices at the consolidated primary. The election 23 authority shall enclose with each absentee ballot or 24 application written instructions on how voting assistance 25 shall be provided pursuant to Section 17-14 and a document, 26 written and approved by the State Board of Elections, 27 enumerating the circumstances under which a person is 28 authorized to vote by absentee ballot pursuant to this 29 Article; such document shall also include a statement 30 informing the applicant that if he or she falsifies or is 31 solicited by another to falsify his or her eligibility to 32 cast an absentee ballot, such applicant or other is subject 33 to penalties pursuant to Section 29-10 and Section 29-20 of 34 the Election Code. Each election authority shall maintain a -3- LRB9010233JMmgA 1 list of the name, street address, ward and precinct, or 2 township and district number, as the case may be, of all 3 applicants who have returned absentee ballots to such 4 authority, and the name of such absent voter shall be added 5 to such list within one business day from receipt of such 6 ballot. If the absentee ballot envelope indicates that the 7 voter was assisted in casting the ballot, the name of the 8 person so assisting shall be included on the list. The list, 9 the pages of which are to be numbered consecutively, shall be 10 kept by each election authority in a conspicuous, open, and 11 public place accessible to the public at the entrance of the 12 office of the election authority and in a manner that the 13 list may be viewed without necessity of requesting permission 14 for viewing. 15 Each election authority shall maintain a list for each 16 election of the voters to whom it has issued absentee 17 ballots. The list shall be maintained for each precinct 18 within the jurisdiction of the election authority. Prior to 19 the opening of the polls on election day, the election 20 authority shall deliver to the judges of election in each 21 precinct the list of registered voters in that precinct to 22 whom absentee ballots have been issued by mail. 23 Each election authority shall maintain a list for each 24 election of voters to whom it has issued temporarily absent 25 student ballots. The list shall be maintained for each 26 election jurisdiction within which such voters temporarily 27 abide. Immediately after the close of the period during 28 which application may be made by mail for absentee ballots, 29 each election authority shall mail to each other election 30 authority within the State a certified list of all such 31 voters temporarily abiding within the jurisdiction of the 32 other election authority. 33 In the event that the return address of an application 34 for ballot by a physically incapacitated elector is that of a -4- LRB9010233JMmgA 1 facility licensed or certified under the Nursing Home Care 2 Act, within the jurisdiction of the election authority, and 3 the applicant is a registered voter in the precinct in which 4 such facility is located, the ballots shall be prepared and 5 transmitted to a responsible judge of election no later than 6 9 a.m. on the Saturday, Sunday or Monday immediately 7 preceding the election as designated by the election 8 authority under Section 19-12.2. Such judge shall deliver in 9 person on the designated day the ballot to the applicant on 10 the premises of the facility from which application was made. 11 The election authority shall by mail notify the applicant in 12 such facility that the ballot will be delivered by a judge of 13 election on the designated day. 14 All applications for absentee ballots shall be available 15 at the office of the election authority for public inspection 16 upon request from the time of receipt thereof by the election 17 authority until 30 days after the election, except during the 18 time such applications are kept in the office of the election 19 authority pursuant to Section 19-7, and except during the 20 time such applications are in the possession of the judges of 21 election. 22 (Source: P.A. 89-653, eff. 8-14-96; 90-101, eff. 7-11-97.)