Bill Text: IL HB4838 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Allows the election authority in Champaign County to establish a pilot program that creates one or more vote centers for an election. Provides that if a vote center is used in a political subdivision, precinct polling places shall not also be used in the election in that political subdivision, unless each precinct polling place has a secure electronic connection to provide voting information to and receive voting information from the online voter registration system maintained by the election authority. Requires each vote center used to have a secure electronic connection to the online voter registration system maintained by the election authority permitting all voting information processed by any computer at a vote center to be immediately accessible to all other computers at all vote centers in the county and the ability for each voter to securely cast their ballot in a tabulation machine designed and programmed to accept all ballot styles for the current election. Provides for the number, location, and manner of operation and location of vote centers. Provides that vote centers shall receive and return all election supplies and ballots as a single entity, not by individual precinct requirements. Includes provisions concerning minimum requirements for operation of vote centers, early voting, and election judge requirements. Defines "vote center" to mean a polling place at which any registered elector or eligible elector in the political subdivision holding the election may vote, regardless of the precinct in which the elector resides. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2025.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-18 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4838 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HB4838-Introduced.html

---

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 HB4838 Introduced , by Rep. Carol Ammons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/11-9 new
Amends the Election Code. Allows the election authority in Champaign County to establish a pilot program that creates one or more vote centers for an election. Provides that if a vote center is used in a political subdivision, precinct polling places shall not also be used in the election in that political subdivision, unless each precinct polling place has a secure electronic connection to provide voting information to and receive voting information from the online voter registration system maintained by the election authority. Requires each vote center used to have a secure electronic connection to the online voter registration system maintained by the election authority permitting all voting information processed by any computer at a vote center to be immediately accessible to all other computers at all vote centers in the county and the ability for each voter to securely cast their ballot in a tabulation machine designed and programmed to accept all ballot styles for the current election. Provides for the number, location, and manner of operation and location of vote centers. Provides that vote centers shall receive and return all election supplies and ballots as a single entity, not by individual precinct requirements. Includes provisions concerning minimum requirements for operation of vote centers, early voting, and election judge requirements. Defines "vote center" to mean a polling place at which any registered elector or eligible elector in the political subdivision holding the election may vote, regardless of the precinct in which the elector resides. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2025.
LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
A BILL FOR
HB4838 LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
AN ACT concerning elections.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section
11-9 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/11-9 new)
Sec. 11-9. Vote center pilot program; Champaign County.
(a) As used in this Section, "vote center" means a polling
place at which any registered elector or eligible elector in
the political subdivision holding the election may vote,
regardless of the precinct in which the elector resides.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
the election authority in Champaign County may establish a
pilot program that creates one or more vote centers for any
election. The election authority shall publish the location of
the vote centers pursuant to Article 12.
(c) If vote centers are used in an election in a political
subdivision, precinct polling places shall not also be used in
the election in that political subdivision, unless each
precinct polling place has a secure electronic connection to
provide voting information to and receive voting information
from the online voter registration system maintained by the
election authority.

HB4838 - 2 - LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
(d) Each vote center used shall have a secure electronic
connection to the online voter registration system maintained
by the election authority permitting all voting information
processed by any computer at a vote center to be immediately
accessible to all other computers at all vote centers in the
county and the ability for each voter to securely cast their
ballot in a tabulation machine designed and programmed to
accept all ballot styles for the current election.
(e) The number, location, and manner of operation and
location of vote centers shall be determined by the election
authority based on this Section.
There shall be at least one vote center per political
subdivision (excluding townships) with a population of at
least 2,500. Additional sites shall be added for every 5,000
registered voters in the political subdivision. If a
geographical area exists in a county where there is no voting
center required based on population within a 7.5 mile radius
of a political subdivision, a precinct-based polling location
or a vote center must be utilized. Number and placement of
multiple vote centers in a political subdivision shall include
abutting precincts that are in unincorporated area. The
election authority shall calculate the population based upon
the federal decennial census immediately preceding the
election.
There shall be at least one vote center: in each
minority-majority county board district (based upon the

HB4838 - 3 - LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
federal decennial census immediately preceding the election);
on a university campus; in the clerk's office or appropriate
designation as determined by the clerk; and in every 10
contiguous precincts, regardless of township, where there are
no more than 10,000 active voters. The vote center at the
university shall be at the student union or other common area
open to the public and shall be conducted as required under
Section 1-12, including early voting, grace period
registration, and grace period voting.
The election authority reserves the right to use any
public building as vote center for any or all of the voting
period. Upon request by an election authority, a unit of local
government shall make the unit's public buildings within the
election authority's jurisdiction available as a vote center,
which may or may not, at the election authority's discretion,
serve early voting, without charge. The unit of local
government shall make the building available at a reasonable
time before and after the period of voting is conducted at that
building. The unit of local government shall ensure that any
portion of the building made available is accessible to voters
with disabilities and elderly voters.
(f) Vote centers shall receive and return all election
supplies and ballots as a single entity, not by individual
precinct requirements. Any other statutory reference
pertaining to precinct-based polling places shall apply to
vote centers as a single entity, not as housing individual

HB4838 - 4 - LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
precincts.
(g) On election day, all vote centers shall be open for
voting from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. is
entitled to vote. Each vote center or precinct-based polling
place shall, at minimum, have 2 voter-processing stations. For
a vote center or precinct-based polling place with more than
3,000 registered voters, each center or polling place shall
have an additional 1 voter-processing station for up to 1,000
registered voters.
The minimum number of election judges during early voting
per polling place, either vote center or precinct-based, shall
be the number of voter processing stations plus 1. Of the
minimum 3 election judges, one shall be a member of the
political party represented by a majority of the commissioners
and one a member of the political party represented by a
minority of such commissioners. The first time a vote center
is used as the home precinct (the precinct the vote center is
physically located in), the majority/minority political party
representation as provided in this paragraph determines
election judge ratios. In subsequent elections, the political
party representation shall be determined by the voter turnout
at that site in the previous primary election.
A minimum of one voting booth is required for every 500
registered voters in a political subdivision and the voting
booths shall be evenly divided between the vote centers within
that political subdivision. For every 5 booths required, a

HB4838 - 5 - LRB102 25389 AWJ 34670 b
minimum of one must be ADA compliant. If less than 5 booths are
required, at least 1 ADA-compliant booth is required. Partial
numbers shall be rounded to the next highest whole number.
Vote centers shall have at least 1 specimen copy of every
ballot style available for voter review upon request.
The Champaign County Clerk has the discretion to
reasonably adjust additional procedures outlined in this Code
to fit the use of vote centers.
(h) All vote center provisions outlined in this Section
apply to the use of vote centers as early voting sites. Vote
centers opened as early voting site must open at least 1 day
before Election Day and offer at least 6 hours of voting time
on weekdays and 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday.
Election judge coverage for early voting at a vote center
may be done in shifts and entire days of service are not
required. On election day, judges must serve the entire day.
(i) Election judges for vote centers must attend 4 hours
of training and pass a test drafted by the Champaign County
Clerk. Commissioned judges are not exempt from the training
and test required in this subsection.
(j) If any provision of law conflicts with any part of this
Section, this Section prevails.
(k) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2025.