Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB1708 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1708 Introduced , by Rep. Kam Buckner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.0110 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new Amends the Ballots Article of the Election Code. Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt, upon submission of a written statement by the municipality's election authority attesting to the administrative ability of the election authority to administer an election using a ranked ballot to the municipality's governing body, an ordinance requiring a ranked vote by mail ballot for municipal and township office candidates to be voted on in the consolidated election or consolidated primary election (rather than only the consolidated election). Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt an ordinance allowing any qualified voter to use a ranked vote by mail ballot for any municipal and township election. Sets forth provisions concerning ranked ballots for nonpartisan primary elections. Removes language providing that a ranked ballot shall be for use only by a qualified voter who either is a member of the United States military or will be outside of the United States on the consolidated primary election day and the consolidated election day. Effective January 1, 2026. LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1708 Introduced , by Rep. Kam Buckner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.0110 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01 10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new Amends the Ballots Article of the Election Code. Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt, upon submission of a written statement by the municipality's election authority attesting to the administrative ability of the election authority to administer an election using a ranked ballot to the municipality's governing body, an ordinance requiring a ranked vote by mail ballot for municipal and township office candidates to be voted on in the consolidated election or consolidated primary election (rather than only the consolidated election). Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt an ordinance allowing any qualified voter to use a ranked vote by mail ballot for any municipal and township election. Sets forth provisions concerning ranked ballots for nonpartisan primary elections. Removes language providing that a ranked ballot shall be for use only by a qualified voter who either is a member of the United States military or will be outside of the United States on the consolidated primary election day and the consolidated election day. Effective January 1, 2026. LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b A BILL FOR
2	2	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1708 Introduced , by Rep. Kam Buckner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.0110 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01 10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new
4	4	10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01
5	5	10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new
6	6	Amends the Ballots Article of the Election Code. Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt, upon submission of a written statement by the municipality's election authority attesting to the administrative ability of the election authority to administer an election using a ranked ballot to the municipality's governing body, an ordinance requiring a ranked vote by mail ballot for municipal and township office candidates to be voted on in the consolidated election or consolidated primary election (rather than only the consolidated election). Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt an ordinance allowing any qualified voter to use a ranked vote by mail ballot for any municipal and township election. Sets forth provisions concerning ranked ballots for nonpartisan primary elections. Removes language providing that a ranked ballot shall be for use only by a qualified voter who either is a member of the United States military or will be outside of the United States on the consolidated primary election day and the consolidated election day. Effective January 1, 2026.
7	7	LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b
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9	9	A BILL FOR
10	10	HB1708LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b HB1708 LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b
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12	12	1 AN ACT concerning elections.
13	13	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
14	14	3 represented in the General Assembly:
15	15	4 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
16	16	5 Section 16-5.01 and by adding Section 16-5.02 as follows:
17	17	6 (10 ILCS 5/16-5.01) (from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01)
18	18	7 Sec. 16-5.01. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this
19	19	8 Code, the election authority shall, at least 46 days prior to
20	20	9 the date of any election at which federal officers are elected
21	21	10 and 45 days prior to any other regular election, have a
22	22	11 sufficient number of ballots printed so that such ballots will
23	23	12 be available for mailing 45 days prior to the date of the
24	24	13 election to persons who have filed application for a ballot
25	25	14 under the provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
26	26	15 (b) If at any election at which federal offices are
27	27	16 elected or nominated the election authority is unable to
28	28	17 comply with the provisions of subsection (a), the election
29	29	18 authority shall mail to each such person, in lieu of the
30	30	19 ballot, a Special Write-in Vote by Mail Voter's Blank Ballot.
31	31	20 The Special Write-in Vote by Mail Voter's Blank Ballot shall
32	32	21 be used at all elections at which federal officers are elected
33	33	22 or nominated and shall be prepared by the election authority
34	34	23 in substantially the following form:
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38	38	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1708 Introduced , by Rep. Kam Buckner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
39	39	10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.0110 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01 10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new
40	40	10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01
41	41	10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new
42	42	Amends the Ballots Article of the Election Code. Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt, upon submission of a written statement by the municipality's election authority attesting to the administrative ability of the election authority to administer an election using a ranked ballot to the municipality's governing body, an ordinance requiring a ranked vote by mail ballot for municipal and township office candidates to be voted on in the consolidated election or consolidated primary election (rather than only the consolidated election). Provides that the governing body of a municipality may adopt an ordinance allowing any qualified voter to use a ranked vote by mail ballot for any municipal and township election. Sets forth provisions concerning ranked ballots for nonpartisan primary elections. Removes language providing that a ranked ballot shall be for use only by a qualified voter who either is a member of the United States military or will be outside of the United States on the consolidated primary election day and the consolidated election day. Effective January 1, 2026.
43	43	LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b
44	44	LRB104 08753 SPS 18807 b
45	45	A BILL FOR
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51	51	10 ILCS 5/16-5.01 from Ch. 46, par. 16-5.01
52	52	10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new
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71	71	1 Special Write-in Vote by Mail Voter's Blank Ballot
72	72	2 (To vote for a person, write the title of the office and
73	73	3 his or her name on the lines provided. Place to the left of and
74	74	4 opposite the title of office a square and place a cross (X) in
75	75	5 the square.)
76	76	6 Title of Office Name of Candidate
77	77	7 ( )
78	78	8 ( )
79	79	9 ( )
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81	81	11 ( )
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83	83	13 The election authority shall send with the Special
84	84	14 Write-in Vote by Mail Voter's Blank Ballot a list of all
85	85	15 referenda for which the voter is qualified to vote and all
86	86	16 candidates for whom nomination papers have been filed and for
87	87	17 whom the voter is qualified to vote. The voter shall be
88	88	18 entitled to write in the name of any candidate seeking
89	89	19 election and any referenda for which he or she is entitled to
90	90	20 vote.
91	91	21 On the back or outside of the ballot, so as to appear when
92	92	22 folded, shall be printed the words "Official Ballot", the date
93	93	23 of the election and a facsimile of the signature of the
94	94	24 election authority who has caused the ballot to be printed.
95	95	25 The provisions of Article 20, insofar as they may be
96	96	26 applicable to the Special Write-in Vote by Mail Voter's Blank
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107	107	1 Ballot, shall be applicable herein.
108	108	2 (c) Notwithstanding any provision of this Code or other
109	109	3 law to the contrary, the governing body of a municipality may
110	110	4 adopt, upon submission of a written statement by the
111	111	5 municipality's election authority attesting to the
112	112	6 administrative ability of the election authority to administer
113	113	7 an election using a ranked ballot to the municipality's
114	114	8 governing body, an ordinance requiring, and that
115	115	9 municipality's election authority shall prepare, a ranked vote
116	116	10 by mail ballot for municipal and township office candidates to
117	117	11 be voted on in the consolidated election or consolidated
118	118	12 primary election. This ranked ballot shall be for use only by a
119	119	13 qualified voter who either is a member of the United States
120	120	14 military or will be outside of the United States on the
121	121	15 consolidated primary election day and the consolidated
122	122	16 election day. The governing body of a municipality may adopt
123	123	17 an ordinance allowing any qualified voter to use a ranked vote
124	124	18 by mail ballot for any municipal and township election. The
125	125	19 ranked ballot shall contain a list of the titles of all
126	126	20 municipal and township offices potentially contested at both
127	127	21 the consolidated primary election and the consolidated
128	128	22 election and the candidates for each office and shall permit
129	129	23 the elector to vote in the consolidated election by indicating
130	130	24 his or her order of preference for each candidate for each
131	131	25 office. To indicate his or her order of preference for each
132	132	26 candidate for each office, the voter shall put the number one
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143	143	1 next to the name of the candidate who is the voter's first
144	144	2 choice, the number 2 for his or her second choice, and so forth
145	145	3 so that, in consecutive numerical order, a number indicating
146	146	4 the voter's preference is written by the voter next to each
147	147	5 candidate's name on the ranked ballot. The voter shall not be
148	148	6 required to indicate his or her preference for more than one
149	149	7 candidate on the ranked ballot. The voter may not cast a
150	150	8 write-in vote using the ranked ballot for the consolidated
151	151	9 election. The election authority shall, if using the ranked
152	152	10 vote by mail ballot authorized by this subsection, also
153	153	11 prepare instructions for use of the ranked ballot. The ranked
154	154	12 ballot for the consolidated election shall be mailed to the
155	155	13 voter at the same time that the ballot for the consolidated
156	156	14 primary election is mailed to the voter and the election
157	157	15 authority shall accept the completed ranked ballot for the
158	158	16 consolidated election when the authority accepts the completed
159	159	17 ballot for the consolidated primary election.
160	160	18 The voter shall also be sent a vote by mail ballot for the
161	161	19 consolidated election for those races that are not related to
162	162	20 the results of the consolidated primary election as soon as
163	163	21 the consolidated election ballot is certified.
164	164	22 The State Board of Elections shall adopt rules for
165	165	23 election authorities for the implementation of this
166	166	24 subsection, including, but not limited to, the application for
167	167	25 and counting of ranked ballots.
168	168	26 (Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
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179	179	1 (10 ILCS 5/16-5.02 new)
180	180	2 Sec. 16-5.02. Ranked ballot; nonpartisan primary
181	181	3 elections.
182	182	4 (a) The State Board of Elections is authorized to adopt
183	183	5 rules mandating all election authorities to conduct all State,
184	184	6 local, and federal primary elections, excluding the
185	185	7 presidential primary, using a ranked ballot method.
186	186	8 (b) This Section applies only if more than 2 candidates
187	187	9 have been nominated for an office.
188	188	10 (c) All qualified voters shall be permitted to vote for
189	189	11 the candidate of their choice in a primary election regardless
190	190	12 of their political party affiliation.
191	191	13 (d) Any person who meets the primary election
192	192	14 qualifications may petition as a candidate in a primary
193	193	15 election as a member of the political party in which the
194	194	16 candidate is registered.
195	195	17 (e) All candidates shall be listed on a single primary
196	196	18 ballot. The ballot shall clearly designate the party in which
197	197	19 each candidate is registered. The top 2 candidates as
198	198	20 determined by the ranked ballot method shall advance to the
199	199	21 general election regardless of political party affiliation.
200	200	22 The winner of the election shall be the candidate that
201	201	23 receives the greatest number of votes cast in the general
202	202	24 election.
203	203	25 (f) For offices subject to the ranked ballot method, the
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214	214	1 ballot shall be simple and easy to understand and allow a voter
215	215	2 to rank candidates for an office based on preference.
216	216	3 (g) Instructions on the ballot shall conform substantially
217	217	4 to the following specifications:
218	218	5 "Vote for candidates by indicating your first-choice
219	219	6 candidates in order of preference. Indicate your first
220	220	7 choice by marking the number "1" beside a candidate's
221	221	8 name, your second choice by marking the number "2" beside
222	222	9 a candidate's name, your third choice by marking a number
223	223	10 "3" beside a candidate's name, and so on in ascending
224	224	11 numerical order.
225	225	12 You may choose to rank only one candidate, but ranking
226	226	13 additional candidates will not hurt the chances of your
227	227	14 first-choice candidate. You may not rank more than 5
228	228	15 candidates. Do not mark the same number beside more than
229	229	16 one candidate. Do not skip numbers."
230	230	17 (h) A sample ballot for an office subject to the ranked
231	231	18 ballot method shall illustrate the voting procedure for the
232	232	19 ranked ballot method. A sample ballot shall be included with
233	233	20 each absentee ballot.
234	234	21 (i) The State Board of Elections shall conduct a voter
235	235	22 education campaign on the ranked ballot system to familiarize
236	236	23 voters with the ballot design, method of voting, and
237	237	24 advantages of determining a majority winner in a single
238	238	25 election.
239	239	26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
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