Bill Text: IL SB2821 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election jurisdiction may establish vote centers. Defines "vote center" as a polling place where a voter who resides in the county in which the vote center is located may vote without regard to which precinct the voter resides in. Contains provisions concerning the process a board of election commissioners or county board must go through to establish vote centers, including the creation of a vote center administration plan that contains specified information and adopting an order approving the plan. Contains various requirements for the establishment of vote centers in an election jurisdiction. With certain exceptions, provides that an order establishing vote centers in an election jurisdiction takes effect immediately upon the filing of the order with the State Board of Elections, after local approval.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2019-01-09 - Session Sine Die [SB2821 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SB2821-Introduced.html

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100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2017 and 2018 SB2821 Introduced 2/13/2018, by Sen. Terry Link SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/1-17 new
Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election jurisdiction may establish vote centers. Defines "vote center" as a polling place where a voter who resides in the county in which the vote center is located may vote without regard to which precinct the voter resides in. Contains provisions concerning the process a board of election commissioners or county board must go through to establish vote centers, including the creation of a vote center administration plan that contains specified information and adopting an order approving the plan. Contains various requirements for the establishment of vote centers in an election jurisdiction. With certain exceptions, provides that an order establishing vote centers in an election jurisdiction takes effect immediately upon the filing of the order with the State Board of Elections, after local approval.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
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 adding Section
1-17 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/1-17 new)
Sec. 1-17. Vote centers.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Board" means:
(1) the board of election commissioners; or
(2) if no board of election commissioners exists, the
county board for the county coterminous with the election
jurisdiction.
"Chief election administrator" means:
(1) the board of election commissioners; or
(2) the county clerk, if no board of election
commissioners exists.
"Vote center" means a polling place where a voter who
resides in the county in which the vote center is located may
vote without regard to which precinct the voter resides in.
(b) A board may establish vote centers in an election
jurisdiction by doing the following:
(1) the board shall hold an initial public hearing

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where a draft plan shall be presented by the chief election
administrator for administration of vote centers in the
election jurisdiction;
(2) after presentation of the draft plan, the board
shall accept written public comments for at least 30 days;
(3) at least 30 days after presentation of the draft
plan, the board shall hold a final public hearing to
consider the draft plan, the written public comments, and
any other public comment that the board may permit on the
draft plan;
(4) after consideration of the draft plan and the
public comments, the board may:
(A) vote to adopt an order approving the draft
plan; or
(B) amend the draft plan and then vote to adopt an
order approving the amended draft plan.
The board may adopt the order to approve a plan by a
three-fifths vote of the board. The order and adopted plan must
be filed with the State Board of Elections and made available
to the public.
(c) The plan required by subsection (b) must include at
least the following:
(1) The total number of vote centers to be established.
(2) The location of each vote center.
(3) The total number of voters within the election
jurisdiction.

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(4) The number of active voters within the election
jurisdiction.
(5) The number of inactive voters within the election
jurisdiction.
(6) For each vote center designated under paragraph
(2):
(A) a list of the precincts with polls that are to
be located at the vote center;
(B) the number, title, and compensation level of
the poll workers to be present at each vote center;
(C) the number and type of ballot variations that
will be provided at the vote center; and
(D) whether these ballots will be:
(i) delivered to the vote center before the
opening of the polls; or
(ii) printed on demand for a voter's use.
(7) A detailed description of any hardware, firmware,
or software used:
(A) to create an electronic poll list for each
precinct whose polls are to be located at a vote
center; or
(B) to manage data in an electronic poll book
through a secure electronic connection between the
chief election administrator and the election judges
administering a vote center.
(8) A description of the equipment and procedures to be

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used to ensure that information concerning a voter entered
into any electronic poll book used by precinct election
officers at a vote center is immediately accessible to:
(A) the chief election administrator; and
(B) the electronic poll books used by election
judges at all other vote centers in the election
jurisdiction.
(9) The security and contingency plans to be
implemented by the election jurisdiction to:
(A) prevent a disruption of the vote center
process; and
(B) ensure that the election is properly conducted
if a disruption occurs.
(10) A certification that the vote center complies with
the accessibility requirements applicable to polling
places.
(11) The total number and locations of early voting
locations to be established at vote center locations
designated under paragraph (2).
(12) A plan to educate voters on the transition to vote
centers.
(13) A plan and allocation request to send a one-time
vote-by-mail application to all registered voters prior to
the first election where vote centers are utilized.
(14) The following accommodations for accessibility
and placement considerations:

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(A) vote center proximity to public
transportation;
(B) vote center proximity to communities with
historically low vote by mail usage;
(C) vote center location proximity to population
centers;
(D) vote center proximity to language minority
communities;
(E) vote center proximity to voters with
disabilities;
(F) vote center location proximity to low-income
communities;
(G) vote center proximity to communities of
eligible voters who are not registered to vote and may
need access to same day voter registration; and
(H) proximity to accessible and free parking at
vote centers.
(d) Except as provided otherwise in this subsection, a plan
must provide a vote center for use by voters residing within
the election jurisdiction for use in a primary election,
general election, special election, municipal primary, or
municipal election conducted on or after the effective date of
the board's order.
A plan may provide that a vote center shall not be used in
a municipal election conducted in 2019 and every 4 years
thereafter for some or all of the towns located within the

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election jurisdiction that have a population of less than
3,500.
(e) Except for special elections as provided under
subsection (f), when the total number of active voters in the
election jurisdiction equals at least 25,000, the following
apply:
(1) The plan must provide for at least one vote center
for each 7,500 active voters.
(2) In addition to the vote centers designated in
paragraph (1), the plan must provide for a vote center for
any remaining fraction of 7,500 active voters.
(f) When an election jurisdiction conducts a special
election that is conducted in only part of an election
jurisdiction and not on the same date as a primary, general, or
municipal election held in the election jurisdiction, the
following apply:
(1) The plan must provide for at least one vote center.
(2) If the election district for the special election
contains at least 5,000 active voters, the following apply:
(A) The plan must provide for at least one vote
center for each 5,000 active voters in the election
district.
(B) In addition to the vote centers required in
subparagraph (A), the plan must provide for a vote
center for any fraction of 5,000 active voters in the
election district.

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(g) Before adopting an order establishing vote centers in
an election jurisdiction in accordance with this Section, the
chief election administrator must determine that:
(1) the secure electronic connection at each vote
center is sufficient to prevent:
(A) any voter from voting more than once; and
(B) unauthorized access by any person to:
(i) the electronic poll lists for a precinct
whose polls are to be located at the vote center;
or
(ii) the computerized list of voters in the
election jurisdiction;
(2) the planned design and location of the equipment
and precinct officers will provide the most efficient
access for:
(A) voters to enter the polls, cast their ballots,
and leave the vote center; and
(B) precinct election officials, watchers,
challengers, and poll book holders to exercise their
rights and perform their duties within the vote center;
(3) the planned design does not have a
disproportionately negative effect on racial or language
minority voters, based on 52 U.S.C. 10301;
(4) the planned design includes one vote center per
each 7,500 registered voters, and does not allow any
registered voter to live more than 5 miles away from an

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election day vote center; no permanent polling place shall
be located within 1.5 miles of another permanent polling
place unless the polling place is located within an
election jurisdiction of at least 500,000 people; and
(5) each vote center is accessible to elderly voters
and voters with disabilities.
Within 2 years of the adoption of a vote center plan under
this Section, the election jurisdiction shall hold public
meetings to consider revising the plan with the public's input.
(h) Except as provided in subsection (i) or as specified
otherwise by the board, an order establishing vote centers in
an election jurisdiction in accordance with subsection (b)
takes effect immediately upon the filing of the order with the
State Board of Elections, after local approval.
(i) An order filed with the State Board of Elections in
accordance with subsection (b) during the final 60 days before
an election becomes effective on the day following the
election. An order filed with the State Board of Elections in
accordance with subsection (b) remains in effect until the
board, by a three-fifths vote, rescinds the order establishing
vote centers in the election jurisdiction and files a copy of
the document rescinding the order with the State Board of
Elections.
(j) Each county executive in a county with a vote center
and the State Board of Elections shall publish notice of the
location of each vote center. Each election authority shall

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publish the location of the vote centers in the manner
prescribed for the publication of other polling places under
Article 12 of this Code. The election authority shall mail to
each voter a notice of the vote center locations, and notice
that the voter may vote in person at any vote center in the
election jurisdiction. The notice shall also include
information regarding which early voting locations will also
serve as election day vote centers.
(k) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the chief
election administrator shall administer an election conducted
at a vote center in accordance with federal law, this Code, and
the plan adopted with the board's order under subsection (b).