104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1717 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12 Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom petitions for nomination are filed shall: (i) create a form for a prospective candidate to request a petition for nomination; (ii) provide a prospective candidate with a petition for nomination within 24 hours after receiving a completed request form; (iii) timestamp when a completed petition for nomination is filed; and (iv) make publicly available a list of filed petitions for nomination that shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months. LRB104 10200 SPS 20274 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1717 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12 10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12 Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom petitions for nomination are filed shall: (i) create a form for a prospective candidate to request a petition for nomination; (ii) provide a prospective candidate with a petition for nomination within 24 hours after receiving a completed request form; (iii) timestamp when a completed petition for nomination is filed; and (iv) make publicly available a list of filed petitions for nomination that shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months. LRB104 10200 SPS 20274 b LRB104 10200 SPS 20274 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1717 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12 10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom petitions for nomination are filed shall: (i) create a form for a prospective candidate to request a petition for nomination; (ii) provide a prospective candidate with a petition for nomination within 24 hours after receiving a completed request form; (iii) timestamp when a completed petition for nomination is filed; and (iv) make publicly available a list of filed petitions for nomination that shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Section 7-12 as follows:
6 (10 ILCS 5/7-12) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-12)
7 Sec. 7-12. All petitions for nomination shall be filed by
8 mail or in person as follows:
9 (1) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, where
10 the nomination is to be made for a State, congressional,
11 or judicial office, or for any office a nomination for
12 which is made for a territorial division or district which
13 comprises more than one county or is partly in one county
14 and partly in another county or counties (including the
15 Fox Metro Water Reclamation District), then, except as
16 otherwise provided in this Section, such petition for
17 nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the
18 State Board of Elections not more than 141 and not less
19 than 134 days prior to the date of the primary, but, in the
20 case of petitions for nomination to fill a vacancy by
21 special election in the office of representative in
22 Congress from this State, such petition for nomination
23 shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1717 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12 10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom petitions for nomination are filed shall: (i) create a form for a prospective candidate to request a petition for nomination; (ii) provide a prospective candidate with a petition for nomination within 24 hours after receiving a completed request form; (iii) timestamp when a completed petition for nomination is filed; and (iv) make publicly available a list of filed petitions for nomination that shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.
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A BILL FOR
10 ILCS 5/7-12 from Ch. 46, par. 7-12
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1 of Elections not more than 85 days and not less than 82
2 days prior to the date of the primary.
3 Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme,
4 Appellate or Circuit Court Judge within the 3-week period
5 preceding the 134th day before a general primary election,
6 petitions for nomination for the office in which the
7 vacancy has occurred shall be filed in the principal
8 office of the State Board of Elections not more than 120
9 nor less than 113 days prior to the date of the general
10 primary election.
11 Where the nomination is to be made for delegates or
12 alternate delegates to a national nominating convention,
13 then such petition for nomination shall be filed in the
14 principal office of the State Board of Elections not more
15 than 141 and not less than 134 days prior to the date of
16 the primary; provided, however, that if the rules or
17 policies of a national political party conflict with such
18 requirements for filing petitions for nomination for
19 delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating
20 convention, the chair of the State central committee of
21 such national political party shall notify the Board in
22 writing, citing by reference the rules or policies of the
23 national political party in conflict, and in such case the
24 Board shall direct such petitions to be filed in
25 accordance with the delegate selection plan adopted by the
26 state central committee of such national political party.
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1 (2) Where the nomination is to be made for a county
2 office or trustee of a sanitary district then such
3 petition shall be filed in the office of the county clerk
4 not more than 141 nor less than 134 days prior to the date
5 of the primary.
6 (3) Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal
7 or township office, such petitions for nomination shall be
8 filed in the office of the local election official, not
9 more than 127 nor less than 120 days prior to the date of
10 the primary; provided, where a municipality's or
11 township's boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely
12 within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election
13 commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office
14 of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office
15 of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the
16 election authority.
17 (4) The petitions of candidates for State central
18 committeeperson shall be filed in the principal office of
19 the State Board of Elections not more than 141 nor less
20 than 134 days prior to the date of the primary.
21 (5) Petitions of candidates for precinct, township or
22 ward committeepersons shall be filed in the office of the
23 county clerk not more than 141 nor less than 134 days prior
24 to the date of the primary.
25 (6) The State Board of Elections and the various
26 election authorities and local election officials with
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1 whom such petitions for nominations are filed shall
2 specify the place where filings shall be made and upon
3 receipt shall endorse thereon the day and hour on which
4 each petition was filed. All petitions filed by persons
5 waiting in line as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for
6 filing, or as of the normal opening hour of the office
7 involved on such day, shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m.
8 or the normal opening hour, as the case may be. Petitions
9 filed by mail and received after midnight of the first day
10 for filing and in the first mail delivery or pickup of that
11 day shall be deemed as filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or
12 as of the normal opening hour of such day, as the case may
13 be. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as
14 filed in the order of actual receipt. However, 2 or more
15 petitions filed within the last hour of the filing
16 deadline shall be deemed filed simultaneously. Where 2 or
17 more petitions are received simultaneously, the State
18 Board of Elections or the various election authorities or
19 local election officials with whom such petitions are
20 filed shall break ties and determine the order of filing,
21 by means of a lottery or other fair and impartial method of
22 random selection approved by the State Board of Elections.
23 Such lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following
24 the last day for petition filing and shall be open to the
25 public. Seven days written notice of the time and place of
26 conducting such random selection shall be given by the
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1 State Board of Elections to the chair of the State central
2 committee of each established political party, and by each
3 election authority or local election official, to the
4 County Chair of each established political party, and to
5 each organization of citizens within the election
6 jurisdiction which was entitled, under this Article, at
7 the next preceding election, to have pollwatchers present
8 on the day of election. The State Board of Elections,
9 election authority or local election official shall post
10 in a conspicuous, open and public place, at the entrance
11 of the office, notice of the time and place of such
12 lottery. The State Board of Elections shall adopt rules
13 and regulations governing the procedures for the conduct
14 of such lottery. All candidates shall be certified in the
15 order in which their petitions have been filed. Where
16 candidates have filed simultaneously, they shall be
17 certified in the order determined by lot and prior to
18 candidates who filed for the same office at a later time.
19 (7) The State Board of Elections or the appropriate
20 election authority or local election official with whom
21 such a petition for nomination is filed shall notify the
22 person for whom a petition for nomination has been filed
23 of the obligation to file statements of organization,
24 reports of campaign contributions, and quarterly reports
25 of campaign contributions and expenditures under Article 9
26 of this Code. Such notice shall be given in the manner
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1 prescribed by paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.
2 (8) Nomination papers filed under this Section are not
3 valid if the candidate named therein fails to file a
4 statement of economic interests as required by the
5 Illinois Governmental Ethics Act in relation to his
6 candidacy with the appropriate officer by the end of the
7 period for the filing of nomination papers unless he has
8 filed a statement of economic interests in relation to the
9 same governmental unit with that officer within a year
10 preceding the date on which such nomination papers were
11 filed. If the nomination papers of any candidate and the
12 statement of economic interests of that candidate are not
13 required to be filed with the same officer, the candidate
14 must file with the officer with whom the nomination papers
15 are filed a receipt from the officer with whom the
16 statement of economic interests is filed showing the date
17 on which such statement was filed. Such receipt shall be
18 so filed not later than the last day on which nomination
19 papers may be filed.
20 (9) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, any
21 person for whom a petition for nomination, or for
22 committeeperson or for delegate or alternate delegate to a
23 national nominating convention has been filed may cause
24 his name to be withdrawn by request in writing, signed by
25 him and duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to
26 take acknowledgments of deeds, and filed in the principal
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1 or permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections
2 or with the appropriate election authority or local
3 election official, not later than the date of
4 certification of candidates for the consolidated primary
5 or general primary ballot. No names so withdrawn shall be
6 certified or printed on the primary ballot. If petitions
7 for nomination have been filed for the same person with
8 respect to more than one political party, his name shall
9 not be certified nor printed on the primary ballot of any
10 party. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the
11 same person for 2 or more offices which are incompatible
12 so that the same person could not serve in more than one of
13 such offices if elected, that person must withdraw as a
14 candidate for all but one of such offices within the 5
15 business days following the last day for petition filing.
16 A candidate in a judicial election may file petitions for
17 nomination for only one vacancy in a subcircuit and only
18 one vacancy in a circuit in any one filing period, and if
19 petitions for nomination have been filed for the same
20 person for 2 or more vacancies in the same circuit or
21 subcircuit in the same filing period, his or her name
22 shall be certified only for the first vacancy for which
23 the petitions for nomination were filed. If he fails to
24 withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices
25 within such time his name shall not be certified, nor
26 printed on the primary ballot, for any office. For the
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1 purpose of the foregoing provisions, an office in a
2 political party is not incompatible with any other office.
3 (10)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other
4 statute, no primary shall be held for an established
5 political party in any township, municipality, or ward
6 thereof, where the nomination of such party for every
7 office to be voted upon by the electors of such township,
8 municipality, or ward thereof, is uncontested. Whenever a
9 political party's nomination of candidates is uncontested
10 as to one or more, but not all, of the offices to be voted
11 upon by the electors of a township, municipality, or ward
12 thereof, then a primary shall be held for that party in
13 such township, municipality, or ward thereof; provided
14 that the primary ballot shall not include those offices
15 within such township, municipality, or ward thereof, for
16 which the nomination is uncontested. For purposes of this
17 Article, the nomination of an established political party
18 of a candidate for election to an office shall be deemed to
19 be uncontested where not more than the number of persons
20 to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers
21 seeking the nomination of such party for election to such
22 office.
23 (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other
24 statute, no primary election shall be held for an
25 established political party for any special primary
26 election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in
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1 the office of representative in the United States Congress
2 where the nomination of such political party for said
3 office is uncontested. For the purposes of this Article,
4 the nomination of an established political party of a
5 candidate for election to said office shall be deemed to
6 be uncontested where not more than the number of persons
7 to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers
8 seeking the nomination of such established party for
9 election to said office. This subsection (b) shall not
10 apply if such primary election is conducted on a regularly
11 scheduled election day.
12 (c) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (a)
13 and (b) of this paragraph (10), whenever a person who has
14 not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends
15 to become a write-in candidate for a political party's
16 nomination for any office for which the nomination is
17 uncontested files a written statement or notice of that
18 intent with the local election official where the
19 candidate is seeking to appear on the ballot, a primary
20 ballot shall be prepared and a primary shall be held for
21 that office. Such statement or notice shall be filed on or
22 before the date established in this Article for certifying
23 candidates for the primary ballot. Such statement or
24 notice shall contain (i) the name and address of the
25 person intending to become a write-in candidate, (ii) a
26 statement that the person is a qualified primary elector
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1 of the political party from whom the nomination is sought,
2 (iii) a statement that the person intends to become a
3 write-in candidate for the party's nomination, and (iv)
4 the office the person is seeking as a write-in candidate.
5 An election authority shall have no duty to conduct a
6 primary and prepare a primary ballot for any office for
7 which the nomination is uncontested unless a statement or
8 notice meeting the requirements of this Section is filed
9 in a timely manner.
10 (11) If multiple sets of nomination papers are filed
11 for a candidate to the same office, the State Board of
12 Elections, appropriate election authority or local
13 election official where the petitions are filed shall
14 within 2 business days notify the candidate of his or her
15 multiple petition filings and that the candidate has 3
16 business days after receipt of the notice to notify the
17 State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority
18 or local election official that he or she may cancel prior
19 sets of petitions. If the candidate notifies the State
20 Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or
21 local election official, the last set of petitions filed
22 shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the
23 State Board of Elections, election authority or local
24 election official. If the candidate fails to notify the
25 State Board of Elections, election authority or local
26 election official then only the first set of petitions
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