Bill Text: IL HB2912 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Voters' Guide Article of the Election Code. Provides that the information the State Board of Elections is required to disseminate on a website before the general election shall be referred to as the Voters' Guide (rather than the Internet Guide). Requires the Voters' Guide to be made available no later than 60 days (rather than 45 days) before a general election. Adds that the Voters' Guide shall include information on how to register to vote, vote early, vote by mail, and use other procedures available to electors. Requires printed copies of the Voters' Guide to be made available to the public at the State Board of Elections' offices (rather than providing the State Board of Elections discretion to publish the Internet Guide). Requires the Voters' Guide to be made available in Spanish. Makes conforming changes throughout the Article.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-27 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2912 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB2912-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning elections.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sections 12A-2, 12A-5, 12A-10, 12A-15, 12A-35, 12A-40, 12A-45, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 12A-50, and 12A-55 as follows:
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7 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-2)
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8 | Sec. 12A-2. Definitions. As used in this Article, unless | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | the context
otherwise
requires:
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10 | "Board" means the State Board of Elections.
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11 | "Internet Guide" refers to information disseminated by the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | State Board of
Elections on a website, pursuant to Section | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 12A-5.
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14 | "Local election authority" means a county clerk or board | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | of election
commissioners.
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16 | "Public question" or "question" means any question, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | proposition, or
referendum
submitted to the voters under | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Article 28 of this Code.
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19 | "Statewide candidate" means any candidate who runs for a | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | statewide office,
including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Attorney General, Secretary of State,
Treasurer, Comptroller, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | United States President, or United States Senator.
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23 | "Voters' Guide guide " means the any information |
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1 | disseminated and published by the State Board of
Elections | ||||||
2 | pursuant to
Section 12A-5.
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3 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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4 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-5)
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5 | Sec. 12A-5. Voters' Internet Guide.
The Board shall | ||||||
6 | publish, no later than the 60th 45th day before a general | ||||||
7 | election
in which a
statewide candidate appears on the ballot, | ||||||
8 | an Internet website with the
following
information:
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9 | (1) The date and time of the general election , | ||||||
10 | including the dates, times, and locations in which early | ||||||
11 | voting is available .
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12 | (2) Requirements for a citizen to qualify as an | ||||||
13 | elector.
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14 | (3) Information on how to register and the The | ||||||
15 | deadline for registering as an elector in the State of | ||||||
16 | Illinois
for
the next
election.
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17 | (4) Contact information for local election | ||||||
18 | authorities.
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19 | (5) A description of the following offices, when they | ||||||
20 | appear on the
ballot,
including their term of office, | ||||||
21 | basic duties, and base salary: United States
President,
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22 | United States Senator, United States Representative, | ||||||
23 | Governor, Lieutenant
Governor,
Attorney
General, Secretary | ||||||
24 | of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Illinois Supreme Court | ||||||
25 | Judge, and Illinois Appellate Court Judge. The Board shall |
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1 | not include information on any office other than the | ||||||
2 | offices listed in this item (5).
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3 | (6) The names and party affiliations of qualified | ||||||
4 | candidates for the
following
offices, when these offices | ||||||
5 | appear on the ballot: United States President,
United | ||||||
6 | States
Senator, United States Representative, Governor, | ||||||
7 | Lieutenant Governor, Attorney
General,
Secretary of State, | ||||||
8 | Treasurer, Comptroller, Illinois Supreme Court Judge, and | ||||||
9 | Illinois Appellate Court Judge. The Board shall not | ||||||
10 | include information on candidates for any office other | ||||||
11 | than the offices listed in this item (6).
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12 | (7) Challenged candidates. Where a candidate's right | ||||||
13 | to appear on the
general
election ballot has been | ||||||
14 | challenged, and any appeal remains pending regarding
those
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15 | challenges, the challenged candidate may appear in on the | ||||||
16 | Voters' Internet Guide, subject
to the
other provisions of | ||||||
17 | Section 12A-10. In this instance, the Board may note that
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18 | the
candidate's
candidacy has been challenged and that he | ||||||
19 | or she may be removed from the
ballot prior
to election | ||||||
20 | day. If the candidate is removed from the ballot prior to | ||||||
21 | election
day, the
Board shall remove the candidate's name | ||||||
22 | and other information from the Voters' Internet
Guide | ||||||
23 | available on the Internet website .
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24 | (8) Any personal statement and photograph submitted by | ||||||
25 | a candidate named
in
the Voters'
Internet Guide, subject | ||||||
26 | to Sections 12A-10 and 12A-35.
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1 | (9) A means by which an elector may determine what | ||||||
2 | type of balloting
equipment
is used by his or her local | ||||||
3 | election authority, and the instructions for
properly
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4 | using that
equipment.
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5 | (10) The text of any public question that may appear | ||||||
6 | on the ballot.
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7 | (11) A mechanism by which electors may determine in | ||||||
8 | which congressional and judicial districts they reside. | ||||||
9 | The Voters' Internet Guide available on the Internet | ||||||
10 | website shall allow
visitors to
search for candidates by | ||||||
11 | office (e.g., Governor or United States Senator) and
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12 | candidate's name.
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13 | (12) Information concerning how to become an election | ||||||
14 | judge. | ||||||
15 | (13) Information on how to vote by mail, vote early, | ||||||
16 | and use any alternative voting procedures available to | ||||||
17 | electors.
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18 | The Board shall archive the contents of the Voters' | ||||||
19 | Internet Guide for a period of at
least 5
years.
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20 | In addition, the Board shall has the discretion to publish | ||||||
21 | the Voters' Guide a voters' guide before a general primary | ||||||
22 | election in the manner provided in this Article and provide | ||||||
23 | printed copies of the Voters' Guide available to the public at | ||||||
24 | the Board's offices .
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25 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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1 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-10)
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2 | Sec. 12A-10. Candidate statements and photographs in the | ||||||
3 | Voters' Internet Guide.
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4 | (a) Any candidate whose name appears in the Voters' | ||||||
5 | Internet Guide may submit a
written
statement and a photograph | ||||||
6 | to appear in the Voters' Internet Guide, provided that:
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7 | (1) No personal statement may exceed a brief biography | ||||||
8 | (name, age, education, and current employment) and an | ||||||
9 | additional 400 words.
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10 | (2) Personal statements may include contact | ||||||
11 | information for the candidate,
including the address and | ||||||
12 | phone number of the campaign headquarters, and the
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13 | candidate's website.
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14 | (3) Personal statements may not mention a candidate's | ||||||
15 | opponents by name.
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16 | (4) No personal statement may include language that | ||||||
17 | may not be legally
sent
through the mail.
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18 | (5) The photograph shall be a conventional photograph | ||||||
19 | with a plain
background
and show only the face, or the | ||||||
20 | head, neck, and shoulders, of the candidate.
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21 | (6) The photograph shall not (i) show the candidate's | ||||||
22 | hands, anything in
the
candidate's hands, or the candidate | ||||||
23 | wearing a
judicial robe, a
hat, or a military, police, or | ||||||
24 | fraternal uniform or (ii)
include the
uniform or insignia | ||||||
25 | of any organization.
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26 | (b) The Board must note in the text of the Voters' Internet |
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1 | Guide that personal
statements were
submitted by the candidate | ||||||
2 | or his or her designee and were not edited by the
Board.
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3 | (c) Where a candidate declines to submit a statement, the | ||||||
4 | Board may note
that
the
candidate declined to submit a | ||||||
5 | statement.
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6 | (d) (Blank.)
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7 | (e) Anyone other than the candidate submitting a statement | ||||||
8 | or photograph
from a
candidate must attest that he or she is | ||||||
9 | doing so on behalf and at the direction
of
the
candidate. The | ||||||
10 | Board may assess a civil fine of no more than $1,000 against a
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11 | person or entity who falsely
submits a statement or photograph | ||||||
12 | not authorized by the
candidate.
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13 | (f) Nothing in this Article makes the author of any | ||||||
14 | statement exempt from
any
civil
or
criminal action because of | ||||||
15 | any defamatory statements offered for posting or
contained in
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16 | the Voters' Internet Guide. The persons writing, signing, or | ||||||
17 | offering a statement for
inclusion in
the Voters' Internet | ||||||
18 | Guide are deemed to be its authors and publishers, and the
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19 | Board shall not
be liable in any case or action relating to the | ||||||
20 | content of any material
submitted by any
candidate.
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21 | (g) The Board may set reasonable deadlines for the | ||||||
22 | submission of personal
statements and
photographs.
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23 | (h) The Board may set formats for the submission of | ||||||
24 | statements and
photographs. The
Board may require that | ||||||
25 | statements and photographs are submitted in an
electronic | ||||||
26 | format.
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1 | (i) Fines
collected pursuant to subsection
(e) of this | ||||||
2 | Section shall be deposited into the Voters' Guide Fund, a | ||||||
3 | special fund created in the State treasury. Moneys in the | ||||||
4 | Voters' Guide Fund shall be appropriated solely to the State | ||||||
5 | Board of Elections for use in the implementation and | ||||||
6 | administration of this Article 12A.
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7 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
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8 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-15)
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9 | Sec. 12A-15. Language. The Board may translate all of the | ||||||
10 | material it is
required to
provide for the Voters' Internet | ||||||
11 | Guide into other languages as it deems necessary to
comply | ||||||
12 | with
the federal Voting Rights Act or at its discretion. | ||||||
13 | Visitors to the site shall
have the
option of viewing the Guide | ||||||
14 | in all languages into which the Guide has been
translated.
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15 | Candidates may, at their option and expense, submit statements | ||||||
16 | in languages
other than
English. The Board shall not be | ||||||
17 | responsible for translating candidate
statements. The Voters' | ||||||
18 | Guide shall be made available in Spanish.
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19 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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20 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-35)
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21 | Sec. 12A-35. Board's review of candidate photograph and | ||||||
22 | statement;
procedure
for
revision.
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23 | (a) If a candidate files a photograph and statement
under | ||||||
24 | item (8) of Section 12A-5 in the Voters' Guide a voters' guide , |
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1 | the Board shall review the
photograph and
statement to ensure | ||||||
2 | that they comply with the requirements of Section 12A-10. | ||||||
3 | Review by the Board under this Section shall be limited
to
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4 | determining whether the photograph and statement comply with | ||||||
5 | the requirements
of
Section 12A-10 and may not include any | ||||||
6 | determination relating
to the
accuracy or truthfulness of the | ||||||
7 | substance or contents of the materials filed.
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8 | (b) The Board shall review each photograph and statement. | ||||||
9 | If the Board
determines
that the photograph or statement of a | ||||||
10 | candidate must be revised in order to
comply with
the | ||||||
11 | requirements of Section 12A-10, the Board
shall
attempt to | ||||||
12 | contact the candidate. A candidate contacted by the Board | ||||||
13 | under this Section
may
file a revised photograph or statement | ||||||
14 | no later than the 5th
business day
following notification.
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15 | (c) If the Board is required to attempt to contact a | ||||||
16 | candidate under
subsection (b) of this
Section, the Board | ||||||
17 | shall attempt to contact the candidate by telephone or by
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18 | using an
electronic transmission facsimile machine, if such | ||||||
19 | contact information is
provided by the
candidate.
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20 | (d) If the Board is unable to contact a candidate, if the | ||||||
21 | candidate does
not file a
revised photograph or statement, or | ||||||
22 | if the revised filing under subsection (b)
again
fails to meet | ||||||
23 | the standards of review set by the Board:
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24 | (1) If a photograph does not comply with Section | ||||||
25 | 12A-10, the Board may modify the photograph. The candidate | ||||||
26 | shall pay the
expense
of any modification before |
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1 | publication of the photograph in the Voters' Guide voters' | ||||||
2 | guide .
If the
photograph cannot be modified to comply with | ||||||
3 | Section 12A-10,
the photograph shall not be printed in the | ||||||
4 | Voters' Guide guide .
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5 | (2) If a statement does not comply with Section | ||||||
6 | 12A-10, the statement shall not be published in the | ||||||
7 | Voters' Guide voters' guide .
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8 | (e) If the photograph or statement of a candidate filed | ||||||
9 | under item (8)
of Section
12A-5 does not comply with a | ||||||
10 | requirement
of Section 12A-10 and the Board does not attempt | ||||||
11 | to contact the
candidate by
the deadline
specified in | ||||||
12 | subsection (b) of this Section, then, for purposes of this | ||||||
13 | Section
only, the
photograph or statement shall be published | ||||||
14 | as filed.
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15 | (f) A candidate revising a photograph or statement under | ||||||
16 | this Section shall
make only
those revisions necessary to | ||||||
17 | comply with Section 12A-10.
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18 | (g) The Board may by rule define the term "contact" as used | ||||||
19 | in this
Section.
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20 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
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21 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-40)
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22 | Sec. 12A-40. Exemption from public records laws.
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23 | Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, materials filed by | ||||||
24 | a candidate, political party, political
committee, or
other | ||||||
25 | person for inclusion in the Voters' Guide a voters' guide are |
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1 | exempt from public inspection
until the
4th business day after | ||||||
2 | the final date for filing the materials.
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3 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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4 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-45)
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5 | Sec. 12A-45. Material submitted for inclusion in the | ||||||
6 | Voters' Guide any voters' guide may not
be
admitted
as | ||||||
7 | evidence in any suit or action against the Board to restrain or | ||||||
8 | enjoin the
publication of the Voters' Guide
a voters' guide .
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9 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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10 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-50)
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11 | Sec. 12A-50. Order of appearance within the Voters' Guide | ||||||
12 | guides . All For all guides
disseminated
by the
Board, all | ||||||
13 | information about offices and candidates on the ballot shall | ||||||
14 | be
listed together
in the same part of the Voters' Guide guide | ||||||
15 | or insert . All candidates for one office,
together with their
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16 | statements and photographs if any,
shall be listed before | ||||||
17 | information on other offices and candidates is listed.
To the | ||||||
18 | extent
possible, offices and candidates shall be listed in the | ||||||
19 | same order in the Voters' Guide in which
they appear
on the | ||||||
20 | ballot.
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21 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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22 | (10 ILCS 5/12A-55)
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23 | Sec. 12A-55. Constitutional issues. If a constitutional |
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1 | amendment appears
on
the ballot,
the contents of the pamphlet | ||||||
2 | issued by the Secretary of State under Section 2
of the | ||||||
3 | Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act may be included in the | ||||||
4 | Voters' Guide any guide
issued by the
Board .
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5 | (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
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