Bill Text: IL HB1649 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. In provisions concerning objections to certificates of nomination and nomination papers, designates the township officers electoral board of a township in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more (rather than the township officers electoral board) to hear and pass upon objector's petitions. Makes a conforming change.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-18 - Assigned to Ethics & Elections [HB1649 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1649-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1649 Introduced , by Rep. Jed Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/10-9 from Ch. 46, par. 10-9
Amends the Election Code. In provisions concerning objections to certificates of nomination and nomination papers, designates the township officers electoral board of a township in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more (rather than the township officers electoral board) to hear and pass upon objector's petitions. Makes a conforming change.
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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 10-9 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/10-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 10-9)
Sec. 10-9. The following electoral boards are designated
for the purpose of hearing and passing upon the objector's
petition described in Section 10-8.
1. The State Board of Elections will hear and pass
upon objections to the nominations of candidates for State
offices, nominations of candidates for congressional or
legislative offices that are in more than one county or
are wholly located within a single county with a
population of less than 3,000,000 and judicial offices of
districts, subcircuits, or circuits situated in more than
one county, nominations of candidates for the offices of
State's attorney or regional superintendent of schools to
be elected from more than one county, and petitions for
proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of
Illinois as provided for in Section 3 of Article XIV of the
Constitution.
2. The county officers electoral board of a county

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with a population of less than 3,000,000 to hear and pass
upon objections to the nominations of candidates for
county offices and judicial offices of a district,
subcircuit, or circuit coterminous with or less than a
county, for any school district offices, for the office of
multi-township assessor where candidates for such office
are nominated in accordance with this Code, for any
township officers, and for all special district offices,
shall be composed of the county clerk, or an assistant
designated by the county clerk, the State's attorney of
the county or an Assistant State's Attorney designated by
the State's Attorney, and the clerk of the circuit court,
or an assistant designated by the clerk of the circuit
court, of the county, of whom the county clerk or his
designee shall be the chair, except that in any county
which has established a county board of election
commissioners that board shall constitute the county
officers electoral board ex-officio. If a school district
is located in 2 or more counties, the county officers
electoral board of the county in which the principal
office of the school district is located shall hear and
pass upon objections to nominations of candidates for
school district office in that school district.
2.5. The county officers electoral board of a county
with a population of 3,000,000 or more to hear and pass
upon objections to the nominations of candidates for

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county offices, candidates for congressional offices and
representatives in the General Assembly if the district is
wholly within a county with a population of 3,000,000 or
more, unless the district is wholly or partially within
the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election
commissioners, and judicial offices of a district,
subcircuit, or circuit coterminous with or less than a
county, for any school district offices, for the office of
multi-township assessor where candidates for such office
are nominated in accordance with this Code, for all
special district offices, and for candidates for the
Senate, shall be composed of the county clerk, or an
assistant designated by the county clerk, the State's
Attorney of the county or an Assistant State's Attorney
designated by the State's Attorney, and the clerk of the
circuit court, or an assistant designated by the clerk of
the circuit court, of the county, of whom the county clerk
or his designee shall be the chair, except that, in any
county which has established a county board of election
commissioners, that board shall constitute the county
officers electoral board ex-officio. If a school district
is located in 2 or more counties, the county officers
electoral board of the county in which the principal
office of the school district is located shall hear and
pass upon objections to nominations of candidates for
school district office in that school district.

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3. The municipal officers electoral board to hear and
pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for
officers of municipalities shall be composed of the mayor
or president of the board of trustees of the city, village
or incorporated town, and the city, village or
incorporated town clerk, and one member of the city
council or board of trustees, that member being designated
who is eligible to serve on the electoral board and has
served the greatest number of years as a member of the city
council or board of trustees, of whom the mayor or
president of the board of trustees shall be the chair.
4. The township officers electoral board of a township
in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more to pass
upon objections to the nominations of township officers
shall be composed of the township supervisor, the town
clerk, and that eligible town trustee elected in the
township who has had the longest term of continuous
service as town trustee, of whom the township supervisor
shall be the chair.
5. The education officers electoral board to hear and
pass upon objections to the nominations of candidates for
offices in community college districts shall be composed
of the presiding officer of the community college district
board, who shall be the chair, the secretary of the
community college district board and the eligible elected
community college board member who has the longest term of

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continuous service as a board member.
6. In all cases, however, where the Congressional,
Legislative, or Representative district is wholly or
partially within the jurisdiction of a single municipal
board of election commissioners in Cook County and in all
cases where the school district or special district is
wholly within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of
election commissioners and in all cases where the
municipality or township is wholly or partially within the
jurisdiction of a municipal board of election
commissioners, the board of election commissioners shall
ex-officio constitute the electoral board.
For special districts situated in more than one county,
the county officers electoral board of the county in which the
principal office of the district is located has jurisdiction
to hear and pass upon objections. For purposes of this
Section, "special districts" means all political subdivisions
other than counties, municipalities, townships and school and
community college districts.
In the event that any member of the appropriate board is a
candidate for the office with relation to which the objector's
petition is filed, he shall not be eligible to serve on that
board and shall not act as a member of the board and his place
shall be filled as follows:
a. In the county officers electoral board by the
county treasurer, and if he or she is ineligible to serve,

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by the sheriff of the county.
b. In the municipal officers electoral board by the
eligible elected city council or board of trustees member
who has served the second greatest number of years as a
city council or board of trustees member.
c. In the township officers electoral board by the
eligible elected town trustee who has had the second
longest term of continuous service as a town trustee.
d. In the education officers electoral board by the
eligible elected community college district board member
who has had the second longest term of continuous service
as a board member.
In the event that the chair of the electoral board is
ineligible to act because of the fact that he or she is a
candidate for the office with relation to which the objector's
petition is filed, then the substitute chosen under the
provisions of this Section shall be the chair; In this case,
the officer or board with whom the objector's petition is
filed, shall transmit the certificate of nomination or
nomination papers as the case may be, and the objector's
petition to the substitute chair of the electoral board.
When 2 or more eligible individuals, by reason of their
terms of service on a city council or board of trustees,
township board of trustees, or community college district
board, qualify to serve on an electoral board, the one to serve
shall be chosen by lot.

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Any vacancies on an electoral board not otherwise filled
pursuant to this Section shall be filled by public members
appointed by the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for the
county wherein the electoral board hearing is being held upon
notification to the Chief Judge of such vacancies. The Chief
Judge shall be so notified by a member of the electoral board
or the officer or board with whom the objector's petition was
filed. In the event that none of the individuals designated by
this Section to serve on the electoral board are eligible, the
chair of an electoral board shall be designated by the Chief
Judge.
(Source: P.A. 103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)