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92_SB1732
SRS92SB0059PMcp
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 7-8 as follows:
6 (10 ILCS 5/7-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-8)
7 Sec. 7-8. The State central committee shall be composed
8 of one or two members from each congressional district in the
9 State and shall be elected as follows:
10 State Central Committee
11 (a) Within 30 days after the effective date of this
12 amendatory Act of 1983 the State central committee of each
13 political party shall certify to the State Board of Elections
14 which of the following alternatives it wishes to apply to the
15 State central committee of that party.
16 Alternative A. At the primary held on the third Tuesday
17 in March 1970, and at the primary held every 4 years
18 thereafter, each primary elector may vote for one candidate
19 of his or her party for member of the State central committee
20 for the congressional district in which he or she resides.
21 The candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be
22 declared elected State central committeeman from the
23 district. A political party may, in lieu of the foregoing, by
24 a majority vote of delegates at any State convention of such
25 party, determine to thereafter elect the State central
26 committeemen in the manner following:
27 At the county convention held by such political party
28 State central committeemen shall be elected in the same
29 manner as provided in this Article for the election of
30 officers of the county central committee, and such election
31 shall follow the election of officers of the county central
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1 committee. Each elected ward, township or precinct
2 committeeman shall cast as his vote one vote for each ballot
3 voted in his ward, township, part of a township or precinct
4 in the last preceding primary election of his political
5 party. In the case of a county lying partially within one
6 congressional district and partially within another
7 congressional district, each ward, township or precinct
8 committeeman shall vote only with respect to the
9 congressional district in which his ward, township, part of a
10 township or precinct is located. In the case of a
11 congressional district which encompasses more than one
12 county, each ward, township or precinct committeeman residing
13 within the congressional district shall cast as his vote one
14 vote for each ballot voted in his ward, township, part of a
15 township or precinct in the last preceding primary election
16 of his political party for one candidate of his party for
17 member of the State central committee for the congressional
18 district in which he resides and the Chairman of the county
19 central committee shall report the results of the election to
20 the State Board of Elections. The State Board of Elections
21 shall certify the candidate receiving the highest number of
22 votes elected State central committeeman for that
23 congressional district.
24 The State central committee shall adopt rules to provide
25 for and govern the procedures to be followed in the election
26 of members of the State central committee.
27 After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
28 91st General Assembly, whenever a vacancy occurs in the
29 office of Chairman of a State central committee, or at the
30 end of the term of office of Chairman, the State central
31 committee of each political party that has selected
32 Alternative A shall elect a Chairman who shall not be
33 required to be a member of the State Central Committee. The
34 Chairman shall be a registered voter in this State and of the
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1 same political party as the State central committee.
2 Alternative B. Each congressional committee shall,
3 within 30 days after the adoption of this alternative,
4 appoint a person of the sex opposite that of the incumbent
5 member for that congressional district to serve as an
6 additional member of the State central committee until his or
7 her successor is elected at the general primary election in
8 1986. Each congressional committee shall make this
9 appointment by voting on the basis set forth in paragraph (e)
10 of this Section. In each congressional district at the
11 general primary election held in 1986 and every 4 years
12 thereafter, the male candidate receiving the highest number
13 of votes of the party's male candidates for State central
14 committeeman, and the female candidate receiving the highest
15 number of votes of the party's female candidates for State
16 central committeewoman, shall be declared elected State
17 central committeeman and State central committeewoman from
18 the district. At the general primary election held in 1986
19 and every 4 years thereafter, if all a party's candidates for
20 State central committeemen or State central committeewomen
21 from a congressional district are of the same sex, the
22 candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be
23 declared elected a State central committeeman or State
24 central committeewoman from the district, and, because of a
25 failure to elect one male and one female to the committee, a
26 vacancy shall be declared to exist in the office of the
27 second member of the State central committee from the
28 district. This vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the
29 congressional committee of the political party, and the
30 person appointed to fill the vacancy shall be a resident of
31 the congressional district and of the sex opposite that of
32 the committeeman or committeewoman elected at the general
33 primary election. Each congressional committee shall make
34 this appointment by voting on the basis set forth in
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1 paragraph (e) of this Section.
2 The Chairman of a State central committee composed as
3 provided in this Alternative B must be selected from the
4 committee's members.
5 Except as provided for in Alternative A with respect to
6 the selection of the Chairman of the State central committee,
7 under both of the foregoing alternatives, the State central
8 committee of each political party shall be composed of
9 members elected or appointed from the several congressional
10 districts of the State, and of no other person or persons
11 whomsoever. The members of the State central committee
12 shall, within 30 days after each quadrennial election of the
13 full committee, meet in the city of Springfield and organize
14 by electing a chairman, and may at such time elect such
15 officers from among their own number (or otherwise), as they
16 may deem necessary or expedient. The outgoing chairman of the
17 State central committee of the party shall, 10 days before
18 the meeting, notify each member of the State central
19 committee elected at the primary of the time and place of
20 such meeting. In the organization and proceedings of the
21 State central committee, each State central committeeman and
22 State central committeewoman shall have one vote for each
23 ballot voted in his or her congressional district by the
24 primary electors of his or her party at the primary election
25 immediately preceding the meeting of the State central
26 committee. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the State central
27 committee of any political party, the vacancy shall be filled
28 by appointment of the chairmen of the county central
29 committees of the political party of the counties located
30 within the congressional district in which the vacancy occurs
31 and, if applicable, the ward and township committeemen of the
32 political party in counties of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants
33 located within the congressional district. If the
34 congressional district in which the vacancy occurs lies
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1 wholly within a county of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, the
2 ward and township committeemen of the political party in that
3 congressional district shall vote to fill the vacancy. In
4 voting to fill the vacancy, each chairman of a county central
5 committee and each ward and township committeeman in counties
6 of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants shall have one vote for each
7 ballot voted in each precinct of the congressional district
8 in which the vacancy exists of his or her county, township,
9 or ward cast by the primary electors of his or her party at
10 the primary election immediately preceding the meeting to
11 fill the vacancy in the State central committee. The person
12 appointed to fill the vacancy shall be a resident of the
13 congressional district in which the vacancy occurs, shall be
14 a qualified voter, and, in a committee composed as provided
15 in Alternative B, shall be of the same sex as his or her
16 predecessor. A political party may, by a majority vote of the
17 delegates of any State convention of such party, determine to
18 return to the election of State central committeeman and
19 State central committeewoman by the vote of primary electors.
20 Any action taken by a political party at a State convention
21 in accordance with this Section shall be reported to the
22 State Board of Elections by the chairman and secretary of
23 such convention within 10 days after such action.
24 Ward, Township and Precinct Committeemen
25 (b) At the primary held on the third Tuesday in March,
26 1972, and every 4 years thereafter, each primary elector in
27 cities having a population of 200,000 or over may vote for
28 one candidate of his party in his ward for ward committeeman.
29 Each candidate for ward committeeman must be a resident of
30 and in the ward where he seeks to be elected ward
31 committeeman. The one having the highest number of votes
32 shall be such ward committeeman of such party for such ward.
33 At the primary election held on the third Tuesday in March,
34 1970, and every 4 years thereafter, each primary elector in
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1 counties containing a population of 2,000,000 or more,
2 outside of cities containing a population of 200,000 or more,
3 may vote for one candidate of his party for township
4 committeeman. Each candidate for township committeeman must
5 be a resident of and in the township or part of a township
6 (which lies outside of a city having a population of 200,000
7 or more, in counties containing a population of 2,000,000 or
8 more), and in which township or part of a township he seeks
9 to be elected township committeeman. The one having the
10 highest number of votes shall be such township committeeman
11 of such party for such township or part of a township. At the
12 primary held on the third Tuesday in March, 1970 and every 2
13 years thereafter, each primary elector, except in counties
14 having a population of 2,000,000 or over, may vote for one
15 candidate of his party in his precinct for precinct
16 committeeman. Each candidate for precinct committeeman must
17 be a bona fide resident of the precinct where he seeks to be
18 elected precinct committeeman. The one having the highest
19 number of votes shall be such precinct committeeman of such
20 party for such precinct. The official returns of the primary
21 shall show the name of the committeeman of each political
22 party.
23 Terms of Committeemen. All precinct committeemen elected
24 under the provisions of this Article shall continue as such
25 committeemen until the date of the primary to be held in the
26 second year after their election. Except as otherwise
27 provided in this Section for certain State central
28 committeemen who have 2 year terms, all State central
29 committeemen, township committeemen and ward committeemen
30 shall continue as such committeemen until the date of primary
31 to be held in the fourth year after their election. However,
32 a vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeman when
33 a precinct committeeman ceases to reside in the precinct in
34 which he was elected and such precinct committeeman shall
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1 thereafter neither have nor exercise any rights, powers or
2 duties as committeeman in that precinct, even if a successor
3 has not been elected or appointed.
4 (c) The Multi-Township Central Committee shall consist
5 of the precinct committeemen of such party, in the
6 multi-township assessing district formed pursuant to Section
7 2-10 of the Property Tax Code and shall be organized for the
8 purposes set forth in Section 45-25 of the Township Code. In
9 the organization and proceedings of the Multi-Township
10 Central Committee each precinct committeeman shall have one
11 vote for each ballot voted in his precinct by the primary
12 electors of his party at the primary at which he was elected.
13 County Central Committee
14 (d) The county central committee of each political party
15 in each county shall consist of the various township
16 committeemen, precinct committeemen and ward committeemen, if
17 any, of such party in the county. In the organization and
18 proceedings of the county central committee, each precinct
19 committeeman shall have one vote for each ballot voted in his
20 precinct by the primary electors of his party at the primary
21 at which he was elected; each township committeeman shall
22 have one vote for each ballot voted in his township or part
23 of a township as the case may be by the primary electors of
24 his party at the primary election for the nomination of
25 candidates for election to the General Assembly immediately
26 preceding the meeting of the county central committee; and in
27 the organization and proceedings of the county central
28 committee, each ward committeeman shall have one vote for
29 each ballot voted in his ward by the primary electors of his
30 party at the primary election for the nomination of
31 candidates for election to the General Assembly immediately
32 preceding the meeting of the county central committee.
33 Congressional Committee
34 (e) The congressional committee of each party in each
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1 congressional district shall be composed of the chairmen of
2 the county central committees of the counties composing the
3 congressional district, except that in congressional
4 districts wholly within the territorial limits of one county,
5 or partly within 2 or more counties, but not coterminous with
6 the county lines of all of such counties, the precinct
7 committeemen, township committeemen and ward committeemen, if
8 any, of the party representing the precincts within the
9 limits of the congressional district, shall compose the
10 congressional committee. A State central committeeman in each
11 district shall be a member and the chairman or, when a
12 district has 2 State central committeemen, a co-chairman of
13 the congressional committee, but shall not have the right to
14 vote except in case of a tie.
15 In the organization and proceedings of congressional
16 committees composed of precinct committeemen or township
17 committeemen or ward committeemen, or any combination
18 thereof, each precinct committeeman shall have one vote for
19 each ballot voted in his precinct by the primary electors of
20 his party at the primary at which he was elected, each
21 township committeeman shall have one vote for each ballot
22 voted in his township or part of a township as the case may
23 be by the primary electors of his party at the primary
24 election immediately preceding the meeting of the
25 congressional committee, and each ward committeeman shall
26 have one vote for each ballot voted in each precinct of his
27 ward located in such congressional district by the primary
28 electors of his party at the primary election immediately
29 preceding the meeting of the congressional committee; and in
30 the organization and proceedings of congressional committees
31 composed of the chairmen of the county central committees of
32 the counties within such district, each chairman of such
33 county central committee shall have one vote for each ballot
34 voted in his county by the primary electors of his party at
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1 the primary election immediately preceding the meeting of the
2 congressional committee.
3 Judicial District Committee
4 (f) The judicial district committee of each political
5 party in each judicial district shall be composed of the
6 chairman of the county central committees of the counties
7 composing the judicial district.
8 In the organization and proceedings of judicial district
9 committees composed of the chairmen of the county central
10 committees of the counties within such district, each
11 chairman of such county central committee shall have one vote
12 for each ballot voted in his county by the primary electors
13 of his party at the primary election immediately preceding
14 the meeting of the judicial district committee.
15 Circuit Court Committee
16 (g) The circuit court committee of each political party
17 in each judicial circuit outside Cook County shall be
18 composed of the chairmen of the county central committees of
19 the counties composing the judicial circuit.
20 In the organization and proceedings of circuit court
21 committees, each chairman of a county central committee shall
22 have one vote for each ballot voted in his county by the
23 primary electors of his party at the primary election
24 immediately preceding the meeting of the circuit court
25 committee.
26 Judicial Subcircuit Committee
27 (g-1) The judicial subcircuit committee of each
28 political party in each judicial subcircuit in Cook County
29 shall be composed of the ward and township committeemen of
30 the townships and wards composing the judicial subcircuit.
31 In the organization and proceedings of each judicial
32 subcircuit committee, each township committeeman shall have
33 one vote for each ballot voted in his township or part of a
34 township, as the case may be, in the judicial subcircuit by
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1 the primary electors of his party at the primary election
2 immediately preceding the meeting of the judicial subcircuit
3 committee; and each ward committeeman shall have one vote for
4 each ballot voted in his ward or part of a ward, as the case
5 may be, in the judicial subcircuit by the primary electors of
6 his party at the primary election immediately preceding the
7 meeting of the judicial subcircuit committee.
8 Municipal Central Committee
9 (h) The municipal central committee of each political
10 party shall be composed of the precinct, township or ward
11 committeemen, as the case may be, of such party representing
12 the precincts or wards, embraced in such city, incorporated
13 town or village. The voting strength of each precinct,
14 township or ward committeeman on the municipal central
15 committee shall be the same as his voting strength on the
16 county central committee.
17 For political parties, other than a statewide political
18 party, established only within a municipality or township,
19 the municipal or township managing committee shall be
20 composed of the party officers of the local established
21 party. The party officers of a local established party shall
22 be as follows: the chairman and secretary of the caucus for
23 those municipalities and townships authorized by statute to
24 nominate candidates by caucus shall serve as party officers
25 for the purpose of filling vacancies in nomination under
26 Section 7-61; for municipalities and townships authorized by
27 statute or ordinance to nominate candidates by petition and
28 primary election, the party officers shall be the party's
29 candidates who are nominated at the primary. If no party
30 primary was held because of the provisions of Section 7-5,
31 vacancies in nomination shall be filled by the party's
32 remaining candidates who shall serve as the party's officers.
33 Powers
34 (i) Each committee and its officers shall have the
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1 powers usually exercised by such committees and by the
2 officers thereof, not inconsistent with the provisions of
3 this Article. The several committees herein provided for
4 shall not have power to delegate any of their powers, or
5 functions to any other person, officer or committee, but this
6 shall not be construed to prevent a committee from appointing
7 from its own membership proper and necessary subcommittees.
8 (j) The State central committee of a political party
9 which elects it members by Alternative B under paragraph (a)
10 of this Section shall adopt a plan to give effect to the
11 delegate selection rules of the national political party and
12 file a copy of such plan with the State Board of Elections
13 when approved by a national political party.
14 (k) For the purpose of the designation of a proxy by a
15 Congressional Committee to vote in place of an absent State
16 central committeeman or committeewoman at meetings of the
17 State central committee of a political party which elects its
18 members by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of this Section,
19 the proxy shall be appointed by the vote of the ward and
20 township committeemen, if any, of the wards and townships
21 which lie entirely or partially within the Congressional
22 District from which the absent State central committeeman or
23 committeewoman was elected and the vote of the chairmen of
24 the county central committees of those counties which lie
25 entirely or partially within that Congressional District and
26 in which there are no ward or township committeemen. When
27 voting for such proxy the county chairman, ward committeeman
28 or township committeeman, as the case may be shall have one
29 vote for each ballot voted in his county, ward or township,
30 or portion thereof within the Congressional District, by the
31 primary electors of his party at the primary at which he was
32 elected. However, the absent State central committeeman or
33 committeewoman may designate a proxy when permitted by the
34 rules of a political party which elects its members by
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1 Alternative B under paragraph (a) of this Section.
2 (Source: P.A. 90-627, eff. 7-10-98; 91-426, eff. 8-6-99.)