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92_SB2105 LRB9215948JMmb 1 AN ACT concerning elections. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing 5 Sections 19-2.1 and 24A-20 as follows: 6 (10 ILCS 5/19-2.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-2.1) 7 Sec. 19-2.1. At the consolidated primary, general 8 primary, consolidated, and general elections, electors 9 entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the provisions of 10 Section 19-1 may vote in person at the office of the 11 municipal clerk, if the elector is a resident of a 12 municipality not having a board of election commissioners, or 13 at the office of the township clerk or, in counties not under 14 township organization, at the office of the road district 15 clerk if the elector is not a resident of a municipality; 16 provided, in each case that the municipal, township or road 17 district clerk, as the case may be, is authorized to conduct 18 in-person absentee voting pursuant to this Section. Absentee 19 voting in such municipal and township clerk's offices under 20 this Section shall be conducted from the 22nd day through the 21 day before the election. 22 Municipal and township clerks (or road district clerks) 23 who have regularly scheduled working hours at regularly 24 designated offices other than a place of residence and whose 25 offices are open for business during the same hours as the 26 office of the election authority shall conduct in-person 27 absentee voting for said elections. Municipal and township 28 clerks (or road district clerks) who have no regularly 29 scheduled working hours but who have regularly designated 30 offices other than a place of residence shall conduct 31 in-person absentee voting for said elections during the hours -2- LRB9215948JMmb 1 of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 2 weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays, but not 3 during such hours as the office of the election authority is 4 closed, unless the clerk files a written waiver with the 5 election authority not later than July 1 of each year stating 6 that he or she is unable to conduct such voting and the 7 reasons therefor. Such clerks who conduct in-person absentee 8 voting may extend their hours for that purpose to include any 9 hours in which the election authority's office is open. 10 Municipal and township clerks (or road district clerks) who 11 have no regularly scheduled office hours and no regularly 12 designated offices other than a place of residence may not 13 conduct in-person absentee voting for said elections. The 14 election authority may devise alternative methods for 15 in-person absentee voting before said elections for those 16 precincts located within the territorial area of a 17 municipality or township (or road district) wherein the clerk 18 of such municipality or township (or road district) has 19 waived or is not entitled to conduct such voting. In 20 addition, electors may vote by absentee ballot under the 21 provisions of Section 19-1 at the office of the election 22 authority having jurisdiction over their residence. 23 In conducting absentee voting under this Section, the 24 respective clerks shall not be required to verify the 25 signature of the absentee voter by comparison with the 26 signature on the official registration record card. However, 27 the clerk shall reasonably ascertain the identity of such 28 applicant, shall verify that each such applicant is a 29 registered voter, and shall verify the precinct in which he 30 or she is registered and the proper ballots of the political 31 subdivisions in which the applicant resides and is entitled 32 to vote, prior to providing any absentee ballot to such 33 applicant. The clerk shall verify the applicant's 34 registration and from the most recent poll list provided by -3- LRB9215948JMmb 1 the county clerk, and if the applicant is not listed on that 2 poll list then by telephoning the office of the county clerk. 3 Absentee voting procedures in the office of the 4 municipal, township and road district clerks shall be subject 5 to all of the applicable provisions of this Article 19. 6 Pollwatchers may be appointed to observe in-person absentee 7 voting procedures at the office of the municipal, township or 8 road district clerks' offices where such absentee voting is 9 conducted. Such pollwatchers shall qualify and be appointed 10 in the same manner as provided in Sections 7-34 and 17-23, 11 except each candidate, political party or organization of 12 citizens may appoint only one pollwatcher for each location 13 where in-person absentee voting is conducted. Pollwatchers 14 shall be residents of the county and possess valid 15 pollwatcher credentials. All requirements in this Article 16 applicable to election authorities shall apply to the 17 respective local clerks, except where inconsistent with this 18 Section. 19 The sealed absentee ballots in their carrier envelope 20 shall be delivered by the respective clerks, or by the 21 election authority on behalf of a clerk if the clerk and the 22 election authority agree, to the proper polling place before 23 the close of the polls on the day of the general primary, 24 consolidated primary, consolidated, or general election. 25 Not more than 23 days before the nonpartisan, general and 26 consolidated elections, the county clerk shall make available 27 to those municipal, township and road district clerks 28 conducting in-person absentee voting within such county, a 29 sufficient number of applications, absentee ballots, 30 envelopes, and printed voting instruction slips for use by 31 absentee voters in the offices of such clerks. The respective 32 clerks shall receipt for all ballots received, shall return 33 all unused or spoiled ballots to the county clerk on the day 34 of the election and shall strictly account for all ballots -4- LRB9215948JMmb 1 received. 2 The ballots delivered to the respective clerks shall 3 include absentee ballots for each precinct in the 4 municipality, township or road district, or shall include 5 such separate ballots for each political subdivision 6 conducting an election of officers or a referendum on that 7 election day as will permit any resident of the municipality, 8 township or road district to vote absentee in the office of 9 the proper clerk. 10 The clerks of all municipalities, townships and road 11 districts may distribute applications for absentee ballot for 12 the use of voters who wish to mail such applications to the 13 appropriate election authority. Such applications for 14 absentee ballots shall be made on forms provided by the 15 election authority. Duplication of such forms by the 16 municipal, township or road district clerk is prohibited. 17 In-person absentee voting may be conducted upon direct 18 recording electronic voting systems when approved by the 19 State Board of Elections, as prescribed in Section 24A-16, 20 and when the use of those systems is provided for by the 21 election authority, as prescribed in Section 24A-20. 22 (Source: P.A. 91-210, eff. 1-1-00.) 23 (10 ILCS 5/24A-20) 24 Sec. 24A-20. State Board testing of electronic ballot 25 forms using direct recording electronic voting systems. The 26 State Board of Elections may test direct recording electronic 27 voting systems. Testing by the State Board of Elections shall 28 include the operation of direct recording electronic voting 29 systems during a mock voting procedure and during a mock 30 contested election in which ballots are objected to or 31 recounted. The State Board of Elections shall certify to the 32 General Assembly the results of any tests it performs under 33 this Section. When the State Board of Elections has -5- LRB9215948JMmb 1 determined that a direct recording electronic voting system 2 meets the requirements of Section 24A-16, election 3 authorities may experiment with such equipment during an 4 actual election by authorizing the use of such system for the 5 casting of in-person absentee votes as prescribed in Section 6 19-2.1. No such system shall be used without the joint 7 approval of the State Board of Elections and the election 8 authority.Notwithstanding the results of the State Board9of Elections test and its certification to the General10Assembly, nothing in this Section shall authorize the use of11a direct recording electronic voting system unless further12authorized by the General Assembly.13 (Source: P.A. 90-745, eff. 8-14-98.) 14 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 15 becoming law.