Bill Text: IL SB3812 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that nursing homes shall be designated grace period registration sites for nursing home residents. Provides that a deputy registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election authority. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [SB3812 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-SB3812-Introduced.html

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97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2011 and 2012 SB3812 Introduced 2/10/2012, by Sen. Don Harmon SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/4-50
10 ILCS 5/5-50
10 ILCS 5/6-100
Amends the Election Code. Provides that nursing homes shall be designated grace period registration sites for nursing home residents. Provides that a deputy registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election authority. Effective immediately.
LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB3812 LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 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 a primary or election and until the 7th day
before the primary or 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 or at a voter
registration location specifically designated for this purpose
by the election authority. The election authority shall
register that individual, or change a registered voter's
address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
Article for registration and change of address. To provide
nursing home residents an equal opportunity to exercise their
right to vote, each nursing home shall be designated a grace
period registration site solely for purposes of registering and

SB3812 - 2 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
completing address changes for residents of that nursing home.
A deputy registrar employed by each nursing home shall be
designated to conduct all grace period registrations and
address changes for that nursing home in the absence of an
employee of the election authority. Upon completion of a grace
period registration or address change, the deputy registrar
shall deliver to the election authority within 24 hours all
completed forms, and the election authority receiving the forms
shall add the names of residents who have completed the forms
to the list of residents entitled to vote during the regular
nursing home voting period.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
period voting, either in person in the office of the election
authority or at a location specifically designated for this
purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
19. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
during the grace period shall be permitted to vote during the
regular nursing home voting period and shall not be required to
have submitted an absentee ballot request in advance.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as

SB3812 - 3 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
the case may 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 absentee 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 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.
(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
(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 a primary or election and until the 7th day

SB3812 - 4 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
before the primary or 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 or at a voter
registration location specifically designated for this purpose
by the election authority. The election authority shall
register that individual, or change a registered voter's
address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
Article for registration and change of address. To permit
nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
registration sites for nursing home residents. A deputy
registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to
conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for
that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election
authority. Upon completion of a grace period registration or
address change, the deputy registrar shall deliver to the
election authority within 24 hours all completed forms, and the
election authority receiving the forms shall add the names of
residents who have completed the forms to the list of residents
entitled to vote during the regular nursing home voting period.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
period voting, either in person in the office of the election
authority or at a location specifically designated for this

SB3812 - 5 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
19. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
home voting period.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as
the case may 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 absentee 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 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

SB3812 - 6 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
the ballots were opened.
(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
(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 a primary or election and until the 7th day
before the primary or 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 or at a voter
registration location specifically designated for this purpose
by the election authority. The election authority shall
register that individual, or change a registered voter's
address, in the same manner as otherwise provided by this
Article for registration and change of address. To permit
nursing home residents equitable access to grace period
registration, nursing homes shall be designated grace period
registration sites for nursing home residents. A deputy
registrar employed by each nursing home shall be designated to
conduct all grace period registrations and address changes for
that nursing home in the absence of an employee of the election
authority. Upon completion of a grace period registration or
address change, the deputy registrar shall deliver to the

SB3812 - 7 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
election authority within 24 hours all completed forms, and the
election authority receiving the forms shall add the names of
residents who have completed the forms to the list of residents
entitled to vote during the regular nursing home voting period.
If a voter who registers or changes address during this
grace period wishes to vote at the first election or primary
occurring after the grace period, he or she must do so by grace
period voting, either in person in the office of the election
authority or at a location specifically designated for this
purpose by the election authority, or by mail, at the
discretion of the election authority. Grace period voting shall
be in a manner substantially similar to voting under Article
19. Nursing home residents who register or change their address
during the grace period may vote during the regular nursing
home voting period.
Within one day after a voter casts a grace period ballot,
the election authority shall transmit the voter's name, street
address, and precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as
the case may 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 absentee and early
ballots have been issued, for use as provided in Sections 17-9
and 18-5.

SB3812 - 8 - LRB097 16976 PJG 62167 b
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 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.
(Source: P.A. 96-441, eff. 1-1-10.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.