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91_SB0935eng SB935 Engrossed LRB9102926MWpr 1 AN ACT to amend the Election Code by changing Section 2 19-2.1. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing 6 Section 19-2.1 as follows: 7 (10 ILCS 5/19-2.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 19-2.1) 8 Sec. 19-2.1. At the consolidated primary, general 9 primary, consolidated, and generaland nonpartisanelections, 10 electors entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the 11 provisions of Section 19-1 may vote in person at the office 12 of the municipal clerk, if the elector is a resident of a 13 municipality not having a board of election commissioners, or 14 at the office of the township clerk or, in counties not under 15 township organization, at the office of the road district 16 clerk if the elector is not a resident of a municipality; 17 provided, in each case that the municipal, township or road 18 district clerk, as the case may be, is authorized to conduct 19 in-person absentee voting pursuant to this Section. Absentee 20 voting in such municipal and township clerk's offices under 21 this Section shall be conducted from the 22nd day through the 22 day before the election. 23 Municipal and township clerks (or road district clerks) 24 who have regularly scheduled working hours at regularly 25 designated offices other than a place of residence and whose 26 offices are open for business during the same hours as the 27 office of the election authority shall conduct in-person 28 absentee voting for said elections. Municipal and township 29 clerks (or road district clerks) who have no regularly 30 scheduled working hours but who have regularly designated 31 offices other than a place of residence shall conduct SB935 Engrossed -2- LRB9102926MWpr 1 in-person absentee voting for said elections during the hours 2 of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 3 weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays, but not 4 during such hours as the office of the election authority is 5 closed, unless the clerk files a written waiver with the 6 election authority not later than July 1 of each year stating 7 that he or she is unable to conduct such voting and the 8 reasons therefor. Such clerks who conduct in-person absentee 9 voting may extend their hours for that purpose to include any 10 hours in which the election authority's office is open. 11 Municipal and township clerks (or road district clerks) who 12 have no regularly scheduled office hours and no regularly 13 designated offices other than a place of residence may not 14 conduct in-person absentee voting for said elections. The 15 election authority may devise alternative methods for 16 in-person absentee voting before said elections for those 17 precincts located within the territorial area of a 18 municipality or township (or road district) wherein the clerk 19 of such municipality or township (or road district) has 20 waived or is not entitled to conduct such voting. In 21 addition, electors may vote by absentee ballot under the 22 provisions of Section 19-1 at the office of the election 23 authority having jurisdiction over their residence. 24 In conducting absentee voting under this Section, the 25 respective clerks shall not be required to verify the 26 signature of the absentee voter by comparison with the 27 signature on the official registration record card. However, 28 the clerk shall reasonably ascertain the identity of such 29 applicant, shall verify that each such applicant is a 30 registered voter, and shall verify the precinct in which he 31 or she is registered and the proper ballots of the political 32 subdivisions in which the applicant resides and is entitled 33 to vote, prior to providing any absentee ballot to such 34 applicant. The clerk shall verify the applicant's SB935 Engrossed -3- LRB9102926MWpr 1 registration and from the most recent poll list provided by 2 the county clerk, and if the applicant is not listed on that 3 poll list then by telephoning the office of the county clerk. 4 Absentee voting procedures in the office of the 5 municipal, township and road district clerks shall be subject 6 to all of the applicable provisions of this Article 19. 7 Pollwatchers may be appointed to observe in-person absentee 8 voting procedures at the office of the municipal, township or 9 road district clerks' offices where such absentee voting is 10 conducted. Such pollwatchers shall qualify and be appointed 11 in the same manner as provided in Sections 7-34 and 17-23, 12 except each candidate, political party or organization of 13 citizens may appoint only one pollwatcher for each location 14 where in-person absentee voting is conducted. Pollwatchers 15 shall be residents of the county and possess valid 16 pollwatcher credentials. All requirements in this Article 17 applicable to election authorities shall apply to the 18 respective local clerks, except where inconsistent with this 19 Section. 20 The sealed absentee ballots in their carrier envelope 21 shall be delivered by the respective clerks, or by the 22 election authority on behalf of a clerk if the clerk and the 23 election authority agree, to the proper polling place before 24 the close of the polls on the day of thenonpartisan,general 25 primary, consolidated primary, consolidated, or general 26 election. 27 Not more than 23 days before the nonpartisan, general and 28 consolidated elections, the county clerk shall make available 29 to those municipal, township and road district clerks 30 conducting in-person absentee voting within such county, a 31 sufficient number of applications, absentee ballots, 32 envelopes, and printed voting instruction slips for use by 33 absentee voters in the offices of such clerks. The respective 34 clerks shall receipt for all ballots received, shall return SB935 Engrossed -4- LRB9102926MWpr 1 all unused or spoiled ballots to the county clerk on the day 2 of the election and shall strictly account for all ballots 3 received. 4 The ballots delivered to the respective clerks shall 5 include absentee ballots for each precinct in the 6 municipality, township or road district, or shall include 7 such separate ballots for each political subdivision 8 conducting an election of officers or a referendum on that 9 election day as will permit any resident of the municipality, 10 township or road district to vote absentee in the office of 11 the proper clerk. 12 The clerks of all municipalities, townships and road 13 districts may distribute applications for absentee ballot for 14 the use of voters who wish to mail such applications to the 15 appropriate election authority. Such applications for 16 absentee ballots shall be made on forms provided by the 17 election authority. Duplication of such forms by the 18 municipal, township or road district clerk is prohibited. 19 (Source: P.A. 86-875.)