Illinois 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB1481 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 02/07/2023

                            103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1481 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:  10 ILCS 5/1A-16.510 ILCS 5/3-6  Amends the Election Code. Allows the State Board of Elections to receive voter registration information provided by applicants using electronic voter registration portals (rather than the Board's website). Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until that individual attains the required age to vote. Requires preregistration to be completed using the online voter registration system or an electronic voter registration portal. Provides that, for the purposes of the Code, an individual who is 16 years of age or older (rather than who is 17 years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general or consolidated election) shall be deemed competent to execute and attest to any voter registration forms.  LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b   A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1481 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:  10 ILCS 5/1A-16.510 ILCS 5/3-6 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5  10 ILCS 5/3-6  Amends the Election Code. Allows the State Board of Elections to receive voter registration information provided by applicants using electronic voter registration portals (rather than the Board's website). Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until that individual attains the required age to vote. Requires preregistration to be completed using the online voter registration system or an electronic voter registration portal. Provides that, for the purposes of the Code, an individual who is 16 years of age or older (rather than who is 17 years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general or consolidated election) shall be deemed competent to execute and attest to any voter registration forms.  LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b     LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b   A BILL FOR
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1481 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.510 ILCS 5/3-6 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5  10 ILCS 5/3-6
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5
10 ILCS 5/3-6
Amends the Election Code. Allows the State Board of Elections to receive voter registration information provided by applicants using electronic voter registration portals (rather than the Board's website). Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until that individual attains the required age to vote. Requires preregistration to be completed using the online voter registration system or an electronic voter registration portal. Provides that, for the purposes of the Code, an individual who is 16 years of age or older (rather than who is 17 years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general or consolidated election) shall be deemed competent to execute and attest to any voter registration forms.
LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b     LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b
    LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b
A BILL FOR
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  SB1481  LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b
1  AN ACT concerning elections.
2  Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3  represented in the General Assembly:
4  Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
5  Sections 1A-16.5 and 3-6 as follows:
6  (10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5)
7  Sec. 1A-16.5. Online voter registration.
8  (a) The State Board of Elections shall establish and
9  maintain a system for online voter registration that permits a
10  person to apply to register to vote or to update his or her
11  existing voter registration. In accordance with technical
12  specifications provided by the State Board of Elections, each
13  election authority shall maintain a voter registration system
14  capable of receiving and processing voter registration
15  application information, including electronic signatures, from
16  the online voter registration system established by the State
17  Board of Elections.
18  (b) The online voter registration system shall employ
19  security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
20  voter registration applications submitted electronically
21  pursuant to this Section.
22  (c) The Board may receive voter registration information
23  provided by applicants using electronic voter registration

 

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1481 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.510 ILCS 5/3-6 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5  10 ILCS 5/3-6
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5
10 ILCS 5/3-6
Amends the Election Code. Allows the State Board of Elections to receive voter registration information provided by applicants using electronic voter registration portals (rather than the Board's website). Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until that individual attains the required age to vote. Requires preregistration to be completed using the online voter registration system or an electronic voter registration portal. Provides that, for the purposes of the Code, an individual who is 16 years of age or older (rather than who is 17 years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general or consolidated election) shall be deemed competent to execute and attest to any voter registration forms.
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    LRB103 27028 BMS 53395 b
A BILL FOR

 

 

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5
10 ILCS 5/3-6



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1  portals the State Board of Elections' website, may cross
2  reference that information with data or information contained
3  in the Secretary of State's database in order to match the
4  information submitted by applicants, and may receive from the
5  Secretary of State the applicant's digitized signature upon a
6  successful match of that applicant's information with that
7  contained in the Secretary of State's database.
8  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
9  who is qualified to register to vote and who has an authentic
10  Illinois driver's license or State identification card issued
11  by the Secretary of State may submit an application to
12  register to vote electronically on a website maintained by the
13  State Board of Elections.
14  (e) An online voter registration application shall contain
15  all of the information that is required for a paper
16  application as provided in Section 1A-16 of this Code, except
17  that the applicant shall be required to provide:
18  (1) the applicant's full Illinois driver's license or
19  State identification card number;
20  (2) the last 4 digits of the applicant's social
21  security number; and
22  (3) the date the Illinois driver's license or State
23  identification card was issued.
24  (f) For an applicant's registration or change in
25  registration to be accepted, the applicant shall mark the box
26  associated with the following statement included as part of

 

 

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1  the online voter registration application:
2  "By clicking on the box below, I swear or affirm all of the
3  following:
4  (1) I am the person whose name and identifying information
5  is provided on this form, and I desire to register to vote in
6  the State of Illinois.
7  (2) All the information I have provided on this form is
8  true and correct as of the date I am submitting this form.
9  (3) I authorize the Secretary of State to transmit to the
10  State Board of Elections my signature that is on file with the
11  Secretary of State and understand that such signature will be
12  used by my local election authority on this online voter
13  registration application for admission as an elector as if I
14  had signed this form personally.".
15  (g) Immediately upon receiving a completed online voter
16  registration application, the online voter registration system
17  shall send, by electronic mail, a confirmation notice that the
18  application has been received. Within 48 hours of receiving
19  such an application, the online voter registration system
20  shall send by electronic mail, a notice informing the
21  applicant of whether the following information has been
22  matched with the Secretary of State database:
23  (1) that the applicant has an authentic Illinois
24  driver's license or State identification card issued by
25  the Secretary of State and that the driver's license or
26  State identification number provided by the applicant

 

 

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1  matches the driver's license or State identification card
2  number for that person on file with the Secretary of
3  State;
4  (2) that the date of issuance of the Illinois driver's
5  license or State identification card listed on the
6  application matches the date of issuance of that card for
7  that person on file with the Secretary of State;
8  (3) that the date of birth provided by the applicant
9  matches the date of birth for that person on file with the
10  Secretary of State; and
11  (4) that the last 4 digits of the applicant's social
12  security number matches the last 4 digits for that person
13  on file with the Secretary of State.
14  (h) If the information provided by the applicant matches
15  the information on the Secretary of State's databases for any
16  driver's license and State identification card holder and is
17  matched as provided in subsection (g) above, the online voter
18  registration system shall:
19  (1) retrieve from the Secretary of State's database
20  files an electronic copy of the applicant's signature from
21  his or her Illinois driver's license or State
22  identification card and such signature shall be deemed to
23  be the applicant's signature on his or her online voter
24  registration application;
25  (2) within 2 days of receiving the application,
26  forward to the county clerk or board of election

 

 

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1  commissioners having jurisdiction over the applicant's
2  voter registration: (i) the application, along with the
3  applicant's relevant data that can be directly loaded into
4  the jurisdiction's voter registration system and (ii) a
5  copy of the applicant's electronic signature and a
6  certification from the State Board of Elections that the
7  applicant's driver's license or State identification card
8  number, driver's license or State identification card date
9  of issuance, and date of birth and social security
10  information have been successfully matched.
11  (i) Upon receipt of the online voter registration
12  application, the county clerk or board of election
13  commissioners having jurisdiction over the applicant's voter
14  registration shall promptly search its voter registration
15  database to determine whether the applicant is already
16  registered to vote at the address on the application and
17  whether the new registration would create a duplicate
18  registration. If the applicant is already registered to vote
19  at the address on the application, the clerk or board, as the
20  case may be, shall send the applicant by first class mail, and
21  electronic mail if the applicant has provided an electronic
22  mail address on the original voter registration form for that
23  address, a disposition notice as otherwise required by law
24  informing the applicant that he or she is already registered
25  to vote at such address. If the applicant is not already
26  registered to vote at the address on the application and the

 

 

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1  applicant is otherwise eligible to register to vote, the clerk
2  or board, as the case may be, shall:
3  (1) enter the name and address of the applicant on the
4  list of registered voters in the jurisdiction; and
5  (2) send by mail, and electronic mail if the applicant
6  has provided an electronic mail address on the voter
7  registration form, a disposition notice to the applicant
8  as otherwise provided by law setting forth the applicant's
9  name and address as it appears on the application and
10  stating that the person is registered to vote.
11  (j) An electronic signature of the person submitting a
12  duplicate registration application or a change of address form
13  that is retrieved and imported from the Secretary of State's
14  driver's license or State identification card database as
15  provided herein may, in the discretion of the clerk or board,
16  be substituted for and replace any existing signature for that
17  individual in the voter registration database of the county
18  clerk or board of election commissioners.
19  (k) Any new registration or change of address submitted
20  electronically as provided in this Section shall become
21  effective as of the date it is received by the county clerk or
22  board of election commissioners having jurisdiction over said
23  registration. Disposition notices prescribed in this Section
24  shall be sent within 5 business days of receipt of the online
25  application or change of address by the county clerk or board
26  of election commissioners.

 

 

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1  (l) All provisions of this Code governing voter
2  registration and applicable thereto and not inconsistent with
3  this Section shall apply to online voter registration under
4  this Section. All applications submitted on a website
5  maintained by the State Board of Elections shall be deemed
6  timely filed if they are submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on
7  the 16th day prior to an election. After the registration
8  period for an upcoming election has ended and until the 2nd day
9  following such election, the web page containing the online
10  voter registration form on the State Board of Elections
11  website shall inform users of the procedure for grace period
12  voting.
13  (m) The State Board of Elections shall maintain a list of
14  the name, street address, e-mail address, and likely precinct,
15  ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, of
16  people who apply to vote online through the voter registration
17  system and those names and that information shall be stored in
18  an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and
19  accessible to State and local political committees.
20  (n) The Illinois State Board of Elections shall develop or
21  cause to be developed an online voter registration system able
22  to be accessed by at least the top two most used mobile
23  electronic operating systems by January 1, 2016.
24  (o) (Blank).
25  (p) Each State department that maintains an Internet
26  website must include a hypertext link to the homepage website

 

 

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1  maintained and operated pursuant to this Section 1A-16.5. For
2  the purposes of this Section, "State department" means the
3  departments of State Government listed in Section 5-15 of the
4  Civil Administrative Code of Illinois (General Provisions and
5  Departments of State Government).
6  (Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14;
7  98-1171, eff. 6-1-15; 99-522, eff. 6-30-16.)
8  (10 ILCS 5/3-6)
9  Sec. 3-6. Voting and registration age.
10  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
11  who is otherwise qualified to vote may preregister to vote on
12  or after that person's 16th birthday, with the registration
13  held in abeyance by the appropriate election authority until
14  that individual attains the required age to vote.
15  Preregistration under this subsection (a) shall be completed
16  using the online voter registration system, as provided in
17  Section 1A-16.5, or an electronic voter registration portal,
18  as provided in Section 1A-16.7.
19  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
20  who is 17 years old on the date of a caucus, general primary
21  election, or consolidated primary election and who is
22  otherwise qualified to vote is qualified to vote at that
23  caucus, general primary, or consolidated primary, including
24  voting a vote by mail, grace period, or early voting ballot
25  with respect to that general primary or consolidated primary,

 

 

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1  if that person will be 18 years old on the date of the
2  immediately following general election or consolidated
3  election for which candidates are nominated at that primary.
4  (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an
5  individual who is 17 years of age, will be 18 years of age on
6  the date of the immediately following general or consolidated
7  election, and is otherwise qualified to vote shall be deemed
8  eligible to circulate a nominating petition or a petition
9  proposing a public question.
10  (d) For the purposes of this Code, a person who is 16 years
11  of age or older shall be deemed competent to execute and attest
12  to any voter registration forms.
13  (e) References in this Code and elsewhere to the
14  requirement that a person must be 18 years old to vote shall be
15  interpreted in accordance with this Section.
16  For the purposes of this Code, an individual who is 17
17  years of age and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the
18  general or consolidated election shall be deemed competent to
19  execute and attest to any voter registration forms. An
20  individual who is 17 years of age, will be 18 years of age on
21  the date of the immediately following general or consolidated
22  election, and is otherwise qualified to vote shall be deemed
23  eligible to circulate a nominating petition or a petition
24  proposing a public question.
25  (Source: P.A. 99-722, eff. 8-5-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)

 

 

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