Bill Text: IL HB5887 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Provides that the election authority shall reject any application for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship. Specifies the documents that provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. Provides that any person who is registered in the State on the effective date of the amendatory Act is deemed to have provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be required to resubmit evidence of citizenship unless the person is changing voter registration from one county to another. Sets forth additional requirements.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 15-0)

Status: (Failed) 2025-01-07 - Session Sine Die [HB5887 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5887-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB5887 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/4-55 new
10 ILCS 5/5-55 new
10 ILCS 5/6-101 new
Amends the Election Code. Provides that the election authority shall reject any application for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship. Specifies the documents that provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. Provides that any person who is registered in the State on the effective date of the amendatory Act is deemed to have provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be required to resubmit evidence of citizenship unless the person is changing voter registration from one county to another. Sets forth additional requirements.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Sections
4-55, 5-55, and 6-101 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/4-55 new)
Sec. 4-55. Verification of citizenship.
(a) The election authority shall reject any application
for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory
evidence of United States citizenship. Satisfactory evidence
of citizenship shall include any of the following:
(1) the number of the applicant's driver's license or
State identification card issued by the Secretary of State
or the equivalent governmental agency of another state
within the United States if the agency indicates on the
applicant's driver's license or State identification card
that the person has provided satisfactory proof of United
States citizenship;
(2) a legible photocopy of the applicant's birth
certificate that verifies citizenship to the satisfaction
of the county clerk;
(3) a legible photocopy of pertinent pages of the
applicant's United States passport identifying the

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applicant and the applicant's passport number or
presentation to the county clerk of the applicant's United
States passport;
(4) a presentation to the election authority of the
applicant's United States naturalization documents or the
number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the
number of the certificate of naturalization is provided,
the applicant shall not be included in the registration
rolls until the number of the certificate of
naturalization is verified with the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services by the county clerk;
(5) other documents or methods of proof that are
established pursuant to the Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986; or
(6) the applicant's Bureau of Indian Affairs card
number, tribal treaty card number, or tribal enrollment
number.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), any person who is
registered in this State on the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly is deemed to have
provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be
required to resubmit evidence of citizenship unless the person
is changing voter registration from one county to another.
(c) For the purposes of this Section, proof of voter
registration from another state or county is not satisfactory
evidence of citizenship.

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(d) A person who modifies voter registration records with
a new residence shall not be required to submit evidence of
citizenship. After citizenship has been demonstrated to the
election authority, the person is not required to resubmit
satisfactory evidence of citizenship in that county.
(e) After a person has submitted satisfactory evidence of
citizenship, the election authority shall indicate this
information in the person's voter registration file. The
election authority may destroy all documents that were
submitted as evidence of citizenship 2 years after receiving
the documents.
(10 ILCS 5/5-55 new)
Sec. 5-55. Verification of citizenship.
(a) The election authority shall reject any application
for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory
evidence of United States citizenship. Satisfactory evidence
of citizenship shall include any of the following:
(1) the number of the applicant's driver's license or
State identification card issued by the Secretary of State
or the equivalent governmental agency of another state
within the United States if the agency indicates on the
applicant's driver's license or State identification card
that the person has provided satisfactory proof of United
States citizenship;
(2) a legible photocopy of the applicant's birth

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certificate that verifies citizenship to the satisfaction
of the county clerk;
(3) a legible photocopy of pertinent pages of the
applicant's United States passport identifying the
applicant and the applicant's passport number or
presentation to the county clerk of the applicant's United
States passport;
(4) a presentation to the election authority of the
applicant's United States naturalization documents or the
number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the
number of the certificate of naturalization is provided,
the applicant shall not be included in the registration
rolls until the number of the certificate of
naturalization is verified with the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services by the county clerk;
(5) other documents or methods of proof that are
established pursuant to the Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986; or
(6) the applicant's Bureau of Indian Affairs card
number, tribal treaty card number, or tribal enrollment
number.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), any person who is
registered in this State on the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly is deemed to have
provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be
required to resubmit evidence of citizenship unless the person

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is changing voter registration from one county to another.
(c) For the purposes of this Section, proof of voter
registration from another state or county is not satisfactory
evidence of citizenship.
(d) A person who modifies voter registration records with
a new residence shall not be required to submit evidence of
citizenship. After citizenship has been demonstrated to the
election authority, the person is not required to resubmit
satisfactory evidence of citizenship in that county.
(e) After a person has submitted satisfactory evidence of
citizenship, the election authority shall indicate this
information in the person's voter registration file. The
election authority may destroy all documents that were
submitted as evidence of citizenship 2 years after receiving
the documents.
(10 ILCS 5/6-101 new)
Sec. 6-101. Verification of citizenship.
(a) The election authority shall reject any application
for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory
evidence of United States citizenship. Satisfactory evidence
of citizenship shall include any of the following:
(1) the number of the applicant's driver's license or
State identification card issued by the Secretary of State
or the equivalent governmental agency of another state
within the United States if the agency indicates on the

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applicant's driver's license or State identification card
that the person has provided satisfactory proof of United
States citizenship;
(2) a legible photocopy of the applicant's birth
certificate that verifies citizenship to the satisfaction
of the board of election commissioners;
(3) a legible photocopy of pertinent pages of the
applicant's United States passport identifying the
applicant and the applicant's passport number or
presentation to the board of election commissioners of the
applicant's United States passport;
(4) a presentation to the election authority of the
applicant's United States naturalization documents or the
number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the
number of the certificate of naturalization is provided,
the applicant shall not be included in the registration
rolls until the number of the certificate of
naturalization is verified with the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services by the board of election
commissioners;
(5) other documents or methods of proof that are
established pursuant to the Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986; or
(6) the applicant's Bureau of Indian Affairs card
number, tribal treaty card number, or tribal enrollment
number.

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