Bill Text: IL HB1144 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that a Judge that could seek retention of the Judge's office may not resign and seek election to the same office unless the former Judge has not served as elected or appointed Judge for that office for at least 2 years. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1144 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB1144-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1144 Introduced , by Rep. Charles Meier SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/7A-1 from Ch. 46, par. 7A-1
Amends the Election Code. Provides that a Judge that could seek retention of the Judge's office may not resign and seek election to the same office unless the former Judge has not served as elected or appointed Judge for that office for at least 2 years. Makes other changes.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning elections.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
Section 7A-1 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/7A-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 7A-1)
Sec. 7A-1. Any Supreme, Appellate or Circuit Judge who has
been elected to that office and who seeks to be retained in
that office under subsection (d) of Section 12 of Article VI of
the Constitution shall file a declaration of candidacy for
retention to succeed himself in the office of the Secretary of
State not less than 6 months before the general election
preceding the expiration of the Judge's his term of office.
Within 3 business days thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall certify to the State Board of Elections the names of all
incumbent judges who were eligible to stand for retention at
the next general election but failed to timely file a
declaration of candidacy to succeed themselves in office or,
having timely filed such a declaration, withdrew it. The State
Board of Elections may rely upon the certification from the
Secretary of State (a) to determine when vacancies in judicial
office exist and (b) to determine the judicial positions for
which elections will be held. The Secretary of State, not less

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than 63 days before the election, shall certify the Judge's
candidacy to the proper election officials. The names of
Judges seeking retention shall be submitted to the electors,
separately and without party designation, on the sole question
whether each Judge shall be retained in office for another
term. The retention elections shall be conducted at general
elections in the appropriate Judicial District, for Supreme
and Appellate Judges, and in the circuit for Circuit Judges.
The affirmative vote of three-fifths of the electors voting on
the question shall elect the Judge to the office for a term
commencing on the first Monday in December following the
Judge's his election.
Upon certification of a Judge's candidacy for retention by
the Secretary of State, the judicial candidate may file a
written request with the Secretary of State for redaction of
the judicial candidate's home address information from the
candidate's declaration of candidacy for retention. After
receipt of the candidate's written request, the Secretary of
State shall redact or cause redaction of the judicial
candidate's home address from the candidate's declaration of
candidacy for retention within 5 business days. For the
purposes of this subsection, "home address" has the meaning as
defined in Section 1-10 of the Judicial Privacy Act.
A Judge that could seek retention of the Judge's office
under this Section may not resign and seek election to the same
office unless the former Judge has not served as elected or

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appointed Judge for that office for at least 2 years.
(Source: P.A. 96-886, eff. 1-1-11; 97-847, eff. 9-22-12.)