Section 1600.745  Candidate Informational Communication

During any election period commencing the January 1 immediately preceding the Election Date and ending the day after the Election Date, the System will make available a blind mailing list containing address files or e-mail lists of eligible voters for election candidates or other organizations to send additional informational material about the candidate.

a)         The System may assist an organization in sending out one e-mail or hardcopy communication per candidate per election cycle by providing a blind mailing list to a third-party service firm hired by the organization.  Organizations must validly exist pursuant to law and must provide a mailing address and contact information to the System at the same time that a request is made for a blind mailing list.

b)         The System may assist each candidate with sending out one communication per election cycle by:

1)         providing a blind mailing list to a third-party service firm for an e-mail or hardcopy communication; or

2)         sending an e-mail communication through a third-party service firm hired by the System.

c)         All third-party service firms must limit the use of the blind mailing list to ensure only one communication is distributed per candidate, per organization.  The third-party service firm must guarantee security of the blind mailing list and only use the member contact information for communication of candidate informational materials. 

d)         The System will not incur any of the costs to produce, mail or e-mail the additional candidate information, except for the one e-mail communication referenced in subsection (b)(2).

e)         Regardless of the source of distribution, whether the communication is distributed by SURS or a SURS-approved third-party service firm, the contents of the informational materials must be approved by the SURS Board Secretary prior to the mailing or e-mailing.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 4218, effective February 29, 2024)