Bill Text: IL SB1147 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that each election precinct shall contain 1,200 voters (currently, 500 voters in counties, 600 voters in a municipality with a board of election commissioners and fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, or 400 voters in a municipality with a board of election commissioners and more than 500,000 inhabitants). Makes corresponding and other changes. In provisions concerning the county board of a county with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, removes language providing that an election precinct with more than 600 voters may be divided. Provides that a county board may (rather than shall) at specified meetings, redivide, consolidate, or readjust (rather than redivide or readjust) election precincts to meet the 1,200 voters per precinct standard. In provisions concerning a municipality with a board of election commissioners, provides that a city with over 500,000 residents may (rather than shall) rearrange its precincts within 90 days of a presidential election or at any time when the number of votes cast exceeds 1,200 (rather than equals 600) to meet the 1,200 voters per precinct standard. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2021-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SB1147 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SB1147-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 SB1147 Introduced 2/5/2019, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/11-2 from Ch. 46, par. 11-2
10 ILCS 5/11-3 from Ch. 46, par. 11-3
Amends the Election Code. Provides that each election precinct shall contain 1,200 voters (currently, 500 voters in counties, 600 voters in a municipality with a board of election commissioners and fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, or 400 voters in a municipality with a board of election commissioners and more than 500,000 inhabitants). Makes corresponding and other changes. In provisions concerning the county board of a county with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, removes language providing that an election precinct with more than 600 voters may be divided. Provides that a county board may (rather than shall) at specified meetings, redivide, consolidate, or readjust (rather than redivide or readjust) election precincts to meet the 1,200 voters per precinct standard. In provisions concerning a municipality with a board of election commissioners, provides that a city with over 500,000 residents may (rather than shall) rearrange its precincts within 90 days of a presidential election or at any time when the number of votes cast exceeds 1,200 (rather than equals 600) to meet the 1,200 voters per precinct standard. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
SB1147 LRB101 08652 SMS 53736 b
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
Sections 11-2 and 11-3 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/11-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-2)
Sec. 11-2. Election precincts; counties with under
3,000,000 inhabitants.
(a) The County Board in each county, except in counties
having a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or over, shall, at
its regular meeting in June, or an adjourned meeting in July
next, divide its election precincts in which the number of
votes cast in a precinct on election day at the most recent
general election held in November was more than 1,200 which
contain more than 800 voters, into election precincts districts
so that each precinct district shall contain, as near as may be
practicable, 1,200 votes 500 voters, and not more in any case
than 800. Whenever the County Board ascertains that any
election precinct contains more than 600 registered voters, it
may divide such precinct, at its regular meeting in June, into
election precincts so that each precinct shall contain, as
nearly as may be practicable, 500 voters. Insofar as is
practicable, each precinct shall be situated within a single

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congressional, legislative and representative district and in
not more than one County Board district and one municipal ward.
In order to situate each precinct within a single district or
ward, the County Board shall change the boundaries of election
precincts after each decennial census as soon as is practicable
following the completion of congressional and legislative
redistricting. In determining whether a division of precincts
should be made, the county board may anticipate increased voter
registration in any precinct in which there is in progress new
construction of dwelling units which will be occupied by voters
more than 30 days before the next election. Each district shall
be composed of contiguous territory in as compact form as can
be for the convenience of the electors voting therein. The
several county boards in establishing districts shall describe
them by metes and bounds and number them.
(b) The And so often thereafter as it shall appear by the
number of votes cast at the general election held in November
of any year, that any election district or undivided election
precinct contains more than 800 voters, the County Board of the
county in which a precinct the district or precincts are
located precinct may be, may shall at its regular meeting in
June, or an adjourned meeting in July next, after such November
election, redivide, consolidate, or readjust such precinct
election district or precincts election precinct, so that no
district or election precinct shall contain more than the
number of votes above specified in subsection (a).

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If for any reason the County Board fails in any year to
redivide or readjust the election districts or election
precinct, then the districts or precincts as then existing
shall continue until the next regular June meeting of the
County Board; at which regular June meeting or an adjourned
meeting in July the County Board shall redivide or readjust the
election districts or election precincts in manner as herein
required. When at any meeting of the County Board any
redivision, readjustment or change in name or number of
election districts or election precincts is made by the County
Board, the County Clerk shall immediately notify the State
Board of Elections of such redivision, readjustment or change.
The County Board in every case shall fix and establish the
places for holding elections in its respective county and all
elections shall be held at the places so fixed. The polling
places shall in all cases be upon the ground floor in the front
room, the entrance to which is in a highway or public street
which is at least 40 feet wide, and is as near the center of the
voting population of the precinct as is practicable, and for
the convenience of the greatest number of electors to vote
thereat; provided, however, where the County Board is unable to
secure a suitable polling place within the boundaries of a
precinct, it may select a polling place at the most
conveniently located suitable place outside the precinct; but
in no case shall an election be held in any room used or
occupied as a saloon, dramshop, bowling alley or as a place of

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resort for idlers and disreputable persons, billiard hall or in
any room connected therewith by doors or hallways. No person
shall be permitted to vote at any election except at the
polling place for the precinct in which he resides, except as
otherwise provided in this Section or Article 19 of this Act.
In counties having a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants or
over the County Board shall divide its election precincts and
shall fix and establish places for holding elections as
hereinbefore provided during the month of January instead of at
its regular meeting in June or at an adjourned meeting in July.
However, in the event that additional divisions of election
precincts are indicated after a division made by the County
Board in the month of January, such additional divisions may be
made by the County Board in counties having a population of
3,000,000 inhabitants or over, at the regular meeting in June
or at adjourned meeting in July. The county board of such
county may divide or readjust precincts at any meeting of the
county board when the voter registration in a precinct has
increased beyond 800 and an election is scheduled before the
next regular January or June meeting of the county board.
When in any city, village or incorporated town territory
has been annexed thereto or disconnected therefrom, which
annexation or disconnection becomes effective after election
precincts or election districts have been established as above
provided in this Section, the clerk of the municipality shall
inform the county clerk thereof as provided in Section 4-21,

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5-28.1, or 6-31.1, whichever is applicable. In the event that a
regular meeting of the County Board is to be held after such
notification and before any election, the County Board shall,
at its next regular meeting establish new election precinct
lines in affected territory. In the event that no regular
meeting of the County Board is to be held before such election
the county clerk shall, within 5 days after being so informed,
call a special meeting of the county board on a day fixed by
him not more than 20 days thereafter for the purpose of
establishing election precincts or election districts in the
affected territory for the ensuing elections.
At any consolidated primary or consolidated election at
which municipal officers are to be elected, and at any
emergency referendum at which a public question relating to a
municipality is to be voted on, notwithstanding any other
provision of this Code, the election authority shall establish
a polling place within such municipality, upon the request of
the municipal council or board of trustees at least 60 days
before the election and provided that the municipality provides
a suitable polling place. To accomplish this purpose, the
election authority may establish an election precinct
constituting a single municipality of under 500 population for
all elections, notwithstanding the minimum precinct size
otherwise specified herein.
Notwithstanding the above, when there are no more than 50
registered voters in a precinct who are entitled to vote in a

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local government or school district election, the election
authority having jurisdiction over the precinct is authorized
to reassign such voters to one or more polling places in
adjacent precincts, within or without the election authority's
jurisdiction, for that election. For the purposes of such local
government or school district election only, the votes of the
reassigned voters shall be tallied and canvassed as votes from
the precinct of the polling place to which such voters have
been reassigned. The election authority having jurisdiction
over the precinct shall approve all administrative and polling
place procedures. Such procedures shall take into account voter
convenience, and ensure that the integrity of the election
process is maintained and that the secrecy of the ballot is not
violated.
Except in the event of a fire, flood or total loss of heat
in a place fixed or established by any county board or election
authority pursuant to this Section as a polling place for an
election, no election authority shall change the location of a
polling place so established for any precinct after notice of
the place of holding the election for that precinct has been
given as required under Article 12 unless the election
authority notifies all registered voters in the precinct of the
change in location by first class mail in sufficient time for
such notice to be received by the registered voters in the
precinct at least one day prior to the date of the election.
The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts,

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including those where voting machines or electronic voting
systems are used.
(Source: P.A. 86-867.)
(10 ILCS 5/11-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 11-3)
Sec. 11-3. It shall be the duty of the Board of
Commissioners established by Article 6 of this Act, within 2
months after its first organization, to divide the city,
village or incorporated town which may adopt or is operating
under Article 6, into election precincts, each of which shall
be situated within a single congressional, legislative and
representative district insofar as is practicable and in not
more than one County Board district and one municipal ward; in
order to situate each precinct within a single district or
ward, the Board of Election Commissioners shall change the
boundaries of election precincts after each decennial census as
soon as is practicable following the completion of
congressional and legislative redistricting and such precincts
shall contain no more than 1,200 actual as nearly as
practicable 600 qualified voters, and in making such division
and establishing such precincts such board shall take as a
basis the poll books, or the number of actual votes cast at the
previous presidential election. Within 90 days after each
presidential election, such board in a city with fewer than
500,000 inhabitants, village or incorporated town shall revise
and rearrange such precincts on the basis of the votes cast at

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such election, making such precincts to contain no more than
1,200 , as near as practicable, 600 actual voters; but at any
time in all instances where the vote cast at any precinct, at
any election, exceeds 1,200 equals 800, there must be a
rearrangement so as to reduce the vote to the standard of 1,200
600 as near as may be. However, any apartment building in which
more than 1,200 actual 800 registered voters reside may be made
a single precinct even though the vote in such precinct exceeds
1,200 800. Within 90 days after each presidential election, a
board in a city with more than 500,000 inhabitants may shall
revise and rearrange such precincts on the basis of the votes
cast at such election, making such precincts to contain no more
than 1,200 , as near as practicable, 400 actual voters; but at
any time in all instances where the vote cast at any precinct,
at any election, exceeds 1,200 equals 600, there may must be a
rearrangement so as to reduce the vote to the standard of 1,200
400 as near as may be. However, any apartment building in which
more than 1,200 actual 600 registered voters reside may be made
a single precinct even though the vote in such precinct exceeds
1,200 600.
Immediately after the annexation of territory to the city,
village or incorporated town becomes effective the Board of
Election Commissioners shall revise and rearrange election
precincts therein to include such annexed territory.
Provided, however, that at any election where but one
candidate is nominated and is to be voted upon at any election

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held in any political subdivision of a city, village or
incorporated town, the Board of Election Commissioners shall
have the power in such political subdivision to determine the
number of voting precincts to be established in such political
subdivision at such election, without reference to the number
of qualified voters therein. The precincts in each ward,
village or incorporated town shall be numbered from one
upwards, consecutively, with no omission.
The provisions of this Section apply to all precincts,
including those where voting machines or electronic voting
systems are used.
(Source: P.A. 84-1308.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.