Bill Text: IL SB1479 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that grace period registration and changes of address shall be conducted for eligible residents in connection with voting at certain elder care facilities. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-08-25 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0442 [SB1479 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SB1479-Introduced.html

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100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2017 and 2018 SB1479 Introduced 2/9/2017, by Sen. Terry Link SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/4-50
10 ILCS 5/5-50
10 ILCS 5/6-100
Amends the Election Code. Provides that grace period registration and changes of address shall be conducted for eligible residents in connection with voting at certain elder care facilities. Effective immediately.
LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB1479 LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 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 4-50, 5-50, and 6-100 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/4-50)
Sec. 4-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
for change of address during the period from the close of
registration for an election until and including the day of the
election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified
elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit
a change of address form, in person in the office of the
election authority, at a permanent polling place established
under Section 19A-10, at any other early voting site beginning
15 days prior to the election, at a polling place on election
day, or at a voter registration location specifically
designated for this purpose by the election authority. Grace
period registration and changes of address shall also be
conducted for eligible residents in connection with voting at
facilities under Section 19-12.2 of this Code. The election
authority shall register that individual, or change a

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registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise
provided by this Article for registration and change of
address.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the election or primary
occurring during the grace period, he or she must do so by
grace period voting. The election authority shall offer
in-person grace period voting at the authority's office, any
permanent polling place established under Section 19A-10, and
at any other early voting site beginning 15 days prior to the
election, at a polling place on election day, where grace
period registration is required by this Section; and may offer
in-person grace period voting at additional hours and locations
specifically designated for the purpose of grace period voting
by the election authority. The election authority may allow
grace period voting by mail only if the election authority has
no ballots prepared at the authority's office. Grace period
voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting
under Article 19A.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
or within one day after the ballot is received by the election
authority if the election authority allows grace period voting
by mail, the election authority shall transmit by electronic
means pursuant to a process established by the State Board of
Elections the voter's name, street address, e-mail address, and
precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may

SB1479 - 3 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those
names and that information in an electronic format on its
website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local
political committees. The name of each person issued a grace
period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct
list of persons to whom vote by mail and early ballots have
been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.
A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
who register or change address during the grace period at a
location other than their designated polling place on election
day must be transmitted to and counted at the election
authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be
transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The
grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to
the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in
the order in which the ballots were opened.
In counties with a population of less than 100,000 that do
not have electronic poll books, the election authority may opt
out of registration in the polling place if the election
authority establishes grace period registration and voting at
other sites on election day at the following sites: (i) the
election authority's main office and (ii) a polling place in
each municipality where 20% or more of the county's residents
reside if the election authority's main office is not located

SB1479 - 4 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
in that municipality. The election authority may establish
other grace period registration and voting sites on election
day provided that the election authority has met the notice
requirements of Section 19A-25 for permanent and temporary
early voting sites.
(Source: P.A. 97-766, eff. 7-6-12; 98-115, eff. 7-29-13;
98-691, eff. 7-1-14; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/5-50)
Sec. 5-50. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
for change of address during the period from the close of
registration for an election until and including the day of the
election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified
elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit
a change of address form, in person in the office of the
election authority, at a permanent polling place established
under Section 19A-10, at any other early voting site beginning
15 days prior to the election, at a polling place on election
day, or at a voter registration location specifically
designated for this purpose by the election authority. Grace
period registration and changes of address shall also be
conducted for eligible residents in connection with voting at
facilities under Section 19-12.2 of this Code. The election
authority shall register that individual, or change a

SB1479 - 5 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise
provided by this Article for registration and change of
address.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the election or primary
occurring during the grace period, he or she must do so by
grace period voting. The election authority shall offer
in-person grace period voting at his or her office, any
permanent polling place established under Section 19A-10, and
at any other early voting site beginning 15 days prior to the
election, at a polling place on election day, where grace
period registration is required by this Section; and may offer
in-person grace period voting at additional hours and locations
specifically designated for the purpose of grace period voting
by the election authority. The election authority may allow
grace period voting by mail only if the election authority has
no ballots prepared at the authority's office. Grace period
voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting
under Article 19A.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
or within one day after the ballot is received by the election
authority if the election authority allows grace period voting
by mail, the election authority shall transmit by electronic
means pursuant to a process established by the State Board of
Elections the voter's name, street address, e-mail address, and
precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may

SB1479 - 6 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those
names and that information in an electronic format on its
website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local
political committees. The name of each person issued a grace
period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct
list of persons to whom vote by mail and early ballots have
been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.
A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
who register or change address during the grace period at a
location other than their designated polling place on election
day must be transmitted to and counted at the election
authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be
transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The
grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to
the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in
the order in which the ballots were opened.
In counties with a population of less than 100,000 that do
not have electronic poll books, the election authority may opt
out of registration in the polling place if the election
authority establishes grace period registration and voting at
other sites on election day at the following sites: (i) the
election authority's main office and (ii) a polling place in
each municipality where 20% or more of the county's residents
reside if the election authority's main office is not located

SB1479 - 7 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
in that municipality. The election authority may establish
other grace period registration and voting sites on election
day provided that the election authority has met the notice
requirements of Section 19A-25 for permanent and temporary
early voting sites.
(Source: P.A. 97-766, eff. 7-6-12; 98-115, eff. 7-29-13;
98-691, eff. 7-1-14; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/6-100)
Sec. 6-100. Grace period. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Code to the contrary, each election authority
shall establish procedures for the registration of voters and
for change of address during the period from the close of
registration for an election until and including the day of the
election. During this grace period, an unregistered qualified
elector may register to vote, and a registered voter may submit
a change of address form, in person in the office of the
election authority, at a permanent polling place established
under Section 19A-10, at any other early voting site beginning
15 days prior to the election, at a polling place on election
day, or at a voter registration location specifically
designated for this purpose by the election authority. Grace
period registration and changes of address shall also be
conducted for eligible residents in connection with voting at
facilities under Section 19-12.2 of this Code. The election
authority shall register that individual, or change a

SB1479 - 8 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
registered voter's address, in the same manner as otherwise
provided by this Article for registration and change of
address.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the election or primary
occurring during the grace period. The election authority shall
offer in-person grace period voting at the authority's office,
any permanent polling place established under Section 19A-10,
and at any other early voting site beginning 15 days prior to
the election, at a polling place on election day, where grace
period registration is required by this Section; and may offer
in-person grace period voting at additional hours and locations
specifically designated for the purpose of grace period voting
by the election authority. The election authority may allow
grace period voting by mail only if the election authority has
no ballots prepared at the authority's office. Grace period
voting shall be in a manner substantially similar to voting
under Article 19A.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
or within one day after the ballot is received by the election
authority if the election authority allows grace period voting
by mail, the election authority shall transmit by electronic
means pursuant to a process established by the State Board of
Elections the voter's name, street address, e-mail address, and
precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may
be, to the State Board of Elections, which shall maintain those

SB1479 - 9 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
names and that information in an electronic format on its
website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local
political committees. The name of each person issued a grace
period ballot shall also be placed on the appropriate precinct
list of persons to whom vote by mail and early ballots have
been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9 and 18-5.
A person who casts a grace period ballot shall not be
permitted to revoke that ballot and vote another ballot with
respect to that primary or election. Ballots cast by persons
who register or change address during the grace period at a
location other than their designated polling place on election
day must be transmitted to and counted at the election
authority's central ballot counting location and shall not be
transmitted to and counted at precinct polling places. The
grace period ballots determined to be valid shall be added to
the vote totals for the precincts for which they were cast in
the order in which the ballots were opened.
In counties with a population of less than 100,000 that do
not have electronic poll books, the election authority may opt
out of registration in the polling place if the election
authority establishes grace period registration and voting at
other sites on election day at the following sites: (i) the
election authority's main office and (ii) a polling place in
each municipality where 20% or more of the county's residents
reside if the election authority's main office is not located
in that municipality. The election authority may establish

SB1479 - 10 - LRB100 06968 MLM 17019 b
other grace period registration and voting sites on election
day provided that the election authority has met the notice
requirements of Section 19A-25 for permanent and temporary
early voting sites.
(Source: P.A. 97-766, eff. 7-6-12; 98-115, eff. 7-29-13;
98-691, eff. 7-1-14; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.