Bill Text: IL SB0315 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Ranked Choice Voting Article in the Election Code. Provides that members of the General Assembly and the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, State Treasurer, Judge of the Supreme, Appellate, and Circuit Court, United States Representative, United States Senator, and President of the United States shall be elected by ranked choice voting. Allows the voter to rank the candidates for an office in order of preference. Provides that elections in which ranked choice voting is used with other methods, if possible, the same ballot must be used for all offices being voted on, with the different methods of voting clearly separated on the ballot. Provides tabulation procedures for first ranked choices and any subsequent rounds of voting required. Provides that if 2 or more candidates are tied and tabulation cannot continue until the candidate with the fewest votes is defeated, provides for the defeated candidate to be chosen by lot. Allows an election authority to resolve prospective ties between candidates before the election. Allows an election authority to modify the tabulation of ranked choice voting to include batch elimination. Provides that for elections using ranked choice voting, precinct returns must include the number of votes in the first ranking for each candidate. Allows the State Board of Elections and election authorities to modify the processes for precinct returns to allow for compliance with the provisions. Provides the State Board of Elections rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of the Article. Makes other and conforming changes throughout the Code.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2025-01-07 - Session Sine Die [SB0315 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB0315-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB0315 Introduced 2/2/2023, by Sen. Laura M. Murphy SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
See Index
Creates the Ranked Choice Voting Article in the Election Code. Provides that members of the General Assembly and the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, State Treasurer, Judge of the Supreme, Appellate, and Circuit Court, United States Representative, United States Senator, and President of the United States shall be elected by ranked choice voting. Allows the voter to rank the candidates for an office in order of preference. Provides that elections in which ranked choice voting is used with other methods, if possible, the same ballot must be used for all offices being voted on, with the different methods of voting clearly separated on the ballot. Provides tabulation procedures for first ranked choices and any subsequent rounds of voting required. Provides that if 2 or more candidates are tied and tabulation cannot continue until the candidate with the fewest votes is defeated, provides for the defeated candidate to be chosen by lot. Allows an election authority to resolve prospective ties between candidates before the election. Allows an election authority to modify the tabulation of ranked choice voting to include batch elimination. Provides that for elections using ranked choice voting, precinct returns must include the number of votes in the first ranking for each candidate. Allows the State Board of Elections and election authorities to modify the processes for precinct returns to allow for compliance with the provisions. Provides the State Board of Elections rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of the Article. Makes other and conforming changes throughout the Code.
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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 changing
Sections 1-3, 7-46, 7-52, 7-53, 7-56, 7-59, 16-3, 17-11,
17-18, 18-5, 18-9, 21-2, and 22-7 and by adding Article 22A as
follows:
(10 ILCS 5/1-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 1-3)
Sec. 1-3. As used in this Act, unless the context
otherwise requires:
1. "Election" includes the submission of all questions of
public policy, propositions, and all measures submitted to
popular vote, and includes primary elections when so indicated
by the context.
2. "Regular election" means the general, general primary,
consolidated and consolidated primary elections regularly
scheduled in Article 2A. The even numbered year municipal
primary established in Article 2A is a regular election only
with respect to those municipalities in which a primary is
required to be held on such date.
3. "Special election" means an election not regularly
recurring at fixed intervals, irrespective of whether it is
held at the same time and place and by the same election

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officers as a regular election.
4. "General election" means the biennial election at which
members of the General Assembly are elected. "General primary
election", "consolidated election" and "consolidated primary
election" mean the respective elections or the election dates
designated and established in Article 2A of this Code.
5. "Municipal election" means an election or primary,
either regular or special, in cities, villages, and
incorporated towns; and "municipality" means any such city,
village or incorporated town.
6. "Political or governmental subdivision" means any unit
of local government, or school district in which elections are
or may be held. "Political or governmental subdivision" also
includes, for election purposes, Regional Boards of School
Trustees, and Township Boards of School Trustees.
7. The word "township" and the word "town" shall apply
interchangeably to the type of governmental organization
established in accordance with the provisions of the Township
Code. The term "incorporated town" shall mean a municipality
referred to as an incorporated town in the Illinois Municipal
Code, as now or hereafter amended.
8. "Election authority" means a county clerk or a Board of
Election Commissioners.
9. "Election Jurisdiction" means (a) an entire county, in
the case of a county in which no city board of election
commissioners is located or which is under the jurisdiction of

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a county board of election commissioners; (b) the territorial
jurisdiction of a city board of election commissioners; and
(c) the territory in a county outside of the jurisdiction of a
city board of election commissioners. In each instance
election jurisdiction shall be determined according to which
election authority maintains the permanent registration
records of qualified electors.
10. "Local election official" means the clerk or secretary
of a unit of local government or school district, as the case
may be, the treasurer of a township board of school trustees,
and the regional superintendent of schools with respect to the
various school officer elections and school referenda for
which the regional superintendent is assigned election duties
by The School Code, as now or hereafter amended.
11. "Judges of election", "primary judges" and similar
terms, as applied to cases where there are 2 sets of judges,
when used in connection with duties at an election during the
hours the polls are open, refer to the team of judges of
election on duty during such hours; and, when used with
reference to duties after the closing of the polls, refer to
the team of tally judges designated to count the vote after the
closing of the polls and the holdover judges designated
pursuant to Section 13-6.2 or 14-5.2. In such case, where,
after the closing of the polls, any act is required to be
performed by each of the judges of election, it shall be
performed by each of the tally judges and by each of the

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holdover judges.
12. "Petition" of candidacy as used in Sections 7-10 and
7-10.1 shall consist of a statement of candidacy, candidate's
statement containing oath, and sheets containing signatures of
qualified primary electors bound together.
13. "Election district" and "precinct", when used with
reference to a 30-day residence requirement, means the
smallest constituent territory in which electors vote as a
unit at the same polling place in any election governed by this
Act.
14. "District" means any area which votes as a unit for the
election of any officer, other than the State or a unit of
local government or school district, and includes, but is not
limited to, legislative, congressional and judicial districts,
judicial circuits, county board districts, municipal and
sanitary district wards, school board districts, and
precincts.
15. "Question of public policy" or "public question" means
any question, proposition or measure submitted to the voters
at an election dealing with subject matter other than the
nomination or election of candidates and shall include, but is
not limited to, any bond or tax referendum, and questions
relating to the Constitution.
16. "Ordinance providing the form of government of a
municipality or county pursuant to Article VII of the
Constitution" includes ordinances, resolutions and petitions

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adopted by referendum which provide for the form of
government, the officers or the manner of selection or terms
of office of officers of such municipality or county, pursuant
to the provisions of Sections 4, 6 or 7 of Article VII of the
Constitution.
17. "List" as used in Sections 4-11, 4-22, 5-14, 5-29,
6-60, and 6-66 shall include a computer tape or computer disc
or other electronic data processing information containing
voter information.
18. "Accessible" means accessible to persons with
disabilities and elderly individuals for the purpose of voting
or registration, as determined by rule of the State Board of
Elections.
19. "Elderly" means 65 years of age or older.
20. "Person with a disability" means a person having a
temporary or permanent physical disability.
21. "Leading political party" means one of the two
political parties whose candidates for governor at the most
recent three gubernatorial elections received either the
highest or second highest average number of votes. The
political party whose candidates for governor received the
highest average number of votes shall be known as the first
leading political party and the political party whose
candidates for governor received the second highest average
number of votes shall be known as the second leading political
party.

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22. "Business day" means any day in which the office of an
election authority, local election official or the State Board
of Elections is open to the public for a minimum of 7 hours.
23. "Homeless individual" means any person who has a
nontraditional residence, including, but not limited to, a
shelter, day shelter, park bench, street corner, or space
under a bridge.
24. "Signature" means a name signed in ink or in digitized
form. This definition does not apply to a nominating or
candidate petition or a referendum petition.
25. "Intelligent mail barcode tracking system" means a
printed trackable barcode attached to the return business
reply envelope for mail-in ballots under Article 19 or Article
20 that allows an election authority to determine the date the
envelope was mailed in absence of a postmark.
26. "Office elected by ranked choice voting" means any of
the following offices: member of the General Assembly,
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of
State, Comptroller, State Treasurer, Judges of the Supreme,
Appellate, and Circuit Courts, United States Representative,
United States Senator, and President of the United States.
These offices shall be elected by ranked choice voting during
a general or special election, and during a primary,
consolidated primary, or similar election. Presidential
preference primaries shall also be conducted by ranked choice
voting.

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(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-522, eff. 6-30-16.)
(10 ILCS 5/7-46) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-46)
Sec. 7-46. On receiving from the primary judges a primary
ballot of his party, the primary elector shall forthwith and
without leaving the polling place, retire alone to one of the
voting booths and prepare such primary ballot by marking a
cross (X) in the square in front of and opposite the name of
each candidate of his choice for each office to be filled, and
for delegates and alternate delegates to national nominating
conventions, and for committeepersons, if committeepersons are
being elected at such primary. A cross (X) in the square in
front of the bracket enclosing the names of a team of
candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor counts as one
vote for each of those candidates.
Any primary elector may, instead of voting for any
candidate for nomination or for committeeperson or for
delegate or alternate delegate to national nominating
conventions, whose name is printed on the primary ballot,
write in the name of any other person affiliated with such
party as a candidate for the nomination for any office, or for
committeeperson, or for delegates or alternate delegates to
national nominating conventions, and indicate his choice of
such candidate or committeeperson or delegate or alternate
delegate, by placing to the left of and opposite the name thus
written a square and placing in the square a cross (X). A

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primary elector, however, may not by this method vote
separately for Governor and Lieutenant Governor but must write
in the names of candidates of his or her choice for both
offices and indicate his or her choice of those names by
placing a single square to the left of those names and placing
in that square a cross (X).
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever
is applicable.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/7-52) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-52)
Sec. 7-52. Immediately upon closing the polls, the primary
judges shall proceed to canvass the votes in the manner
following:
(1) They shall separate and count the ballots of each
political party.
(2) They shall then proceed to ascertain the number of
names entered on the applications for ballot under each
party affiliation.
(3) If the primary ballots of any political party
exceed the number of applications for ballot by voters of

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such political party, the primary ballots of such
political party shall be folded and replaced in the ballot
box, the box closed, well shaken and again opened and one
of the primary judges, who shall be blindfolded, shall
draw out so many of the primary ballots of such political
party as shall be equal to such excess. Such excess
ballots shall be marked "Excess-Not Counted" and signed by
a majority of the judges and shall be placed in the "After
6:00 p.m. Defective Ballots Envelope". The number of
excess ballots shall be noted in the remarks section of
the Certificate of Results. "Excess" ballots shall not be
counted in the total of "defective" ballots.
(4) The primary judges shall then proceed to count the
primary ballots of each political party separately; and as
the primary judges shall open and read the primary
ballots, 3 of the judges shall carefully and correctly
mark upon separate tally sheets the votes which each
candidate of the party whose name is written or printed on
the primary ballot has received, in a separate column for
that purpose, with the name of such candidate, the name of
his political party and the name of the office for which he
is a candidate for nomination at the head of such column.
The same column, however, shall be used for both names of
the same team of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor.
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are

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used, the provisions of this Section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever
is applicable.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 96-1018, eff. 1-1-11; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)
(10 ILCS 5/7-53) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-53)
Sec. 7-53. As soon as the ballots of a political party
shall have been read and the votes of the political party
counted, as provided in the last above section, the 3 judges in
charge of the tally sheets shall foot up the tally sheets so as
to show the total number of votes cast for each candidate of
the political party and for each candidate for State Central
committeeperson and precinct committeeperson, township
committeeperson or ward committeeperson, and delegate and
alternate delegate to National nominating conventions, and
certify the same to be correct. Thereupon, the primary judges
shall set down in a certificate of results on the tally sheet,
under the name of the political party, the name of each
candidate voted for upon the primary ballot, written at full
length, the name of the office for which he is a candidate for
nomination or for committeeperson, or delegate or alternate
delegate to National nominating conventions, the total number
of votes which the candidate received, and they shall also set

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down the total number of ballots voted by the primary electors
of the political party in the precinct. The certificate of
results shall be made substantially in the following form:
................ Party
At the primary election held in the .... precinct of the
(1) *township of ...., or (2) *City of ...., or (3) *.... ward
in the city of .... on (insert date), the primary electors of
the .... party voted .... ballots, and the respective
candidates whose names were written or printed on the primary
ballot of the .... party, received respectively the following
votes:
Name of No. of
Candidate, Title of Office, Votes
John Jones Governor 100
Jane James Lieutenant Governor 100
Sam Smith Governor 70
Samantha Smythe Lieutenant Governor 70
Frank Martin Attorney General 150
William Preston Rep. in Congress 200
Frederick John Circuit Judge 50
*Fill in either (1), (2) or (3).
And so on for each candidate.
We hereby certify the above and foregoing to be true and
correct.
Dated (insert date).
...................................

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Name Address
...................................
Name Address
...................................
Name Address
...................................
Name Address
...................................
Name Address
Judges of Primary
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this Section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 and Article 24A,
whichever is applicable.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/7-56) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-56)
Sec. 7-56. As soon as complete returns are delivered to
the proper election authority, the returns shall be canvassed
for all primary elections as follows. The election authority
acting as the canvassing board pursuant to Section 1-8 of this
Code shall also open and canvass the returns of a primary. Upon

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the completion of the canvass of the returns by the election
authority, the election authority shall make a tabulated
statement of the returns for each political party separately,
stating in appropriate columns and under proper headings, the
total number of votes cast in said county for each candidate
for nomination or election by said party, including candidates
for President of the United States and for State central
committeepersons, and for delegates and alternate delegates to
National nominating conventions, and for precinct
committeepersons, township committeepersons, and for ward
committeepersons. Within 2 days after the completion of said
canvass by the election authority, the county clerk shall mail
to the State Board of Elections a certified copy of such
tabulated statement of returns. The election authority shall
also determine and set down as to each precinct the number of
ballots voted by the primary electors of each party at the
primary.
In the case of the nomination or election of candidates
for offices, including President of the United States and the
State central committeepersons, and delegates and alternate
delegates to National nominating conventions, certified
tabulated statement of returns for which are filed with the
State Board of Elections, said returns shall be canvassed by
the election authority. And, provided, further, that within 5
days after said returns shall be canvassed by the said Board,
the Board shall provide each political party with the results

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of the ranked choice voting tabulation for President of the
United States, including the results after each round of
tabulation, and cause to be published in one daily newspaper
of general circulation at the seat of the State government in
Springfield a certified statement of the returns filed in its
office, showing the total vote cast in the State for each
candidate of each political party for President of the United
States, and showing the total vote for each candidate of each
political party for President of the United States, cast in
each of the several congressional districts in the State.
Within 48 hours of conducting a canvass, as required by
this Code, of the consolidated primary, the election authority
shall deliver an original certificate of results to each local
election official, with respect to whose political
subdivisions nominations were made at such primary, for each
precinct in his jurisdiction in which such nominations were on
the ballot. Such original certificate of results need not
include any offices or nominations for any other political
subdivisions.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/7-59) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-59)
Sec. 7-59. (a) The person receiving the highest number of
votes at a primary as a candidate of a party for the nomination
for an office shall be the candidate of that party for such
office, and his name as such candidate shall be placed on the

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official ballot at the election then next ensuing; provided,
that where there are 2 two or more persons to be nominated for
the same office or board, the requisite number of persons
receiving the highest number of votes shall be nominated, and
their names shall be placed on the official ballot at the
following election. For an office elected by ranked choice
voting, the person receiving the highest number of votes is
determined by ranked choice voting tabulation as described in
Article 22A.
Except as otherwise provided by Section 7-8 of this Code
Act, the person receiving the highest number of votes of his
party for State central committeeperson of his congressional
district shall be declared elected State central
committeeperson from said congressional district.
Unless a national political party specifies that delegates
and alternate delegates to a National nominating convention be
allocated by proportional selection representation according
to the results of a Presidential preference primary, the
requisite number of persons receiving the highest number of
votes of their party for delegates and alternate delegates to
National nominating conventions from the State at large, and
the requisite number of persons receiving the highest number
of votes of their party for delegates and alternate delegates
to National nominating conventions in their respective
congressional districts shall be declared elected delegates
and alternate delegates to the National nominating conventions

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of their party.
A political party which elects the members to its State
Central Committee by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of
Section 7-8 shall select its congressional district delegates
and alternate delegates to its national nominating convention
by proportional selection representation according to the
results of a Presidential preference primary in each
congressional district in the manner provided by the rules of
the national political party and the State Central Committee,
when the rules and policies of the national political party so
require.
A political party which elects the members to its State
Central Committee by Alternative B under paragraph (a) of
Section 7-8 shall select its at large delegates and alternate
delegates to its national nominating convention by
proportional selection representation according to the results
of a Presidential preference primary in the whole State in the
manner provided by the rules of the national political party
and the State Central Committee, when the rules and policies
of the national political party so require.
The person receiving the highest number of votes of his
party for precinct committeeperson of his precinct shall be
declared elected precinct committeeperson from said precinct.
The person receiving the highest number of votes of his
party for township committeeperson of his township or part of
a township as the case may be, shall be declared elected

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township committeeperson from said township or part of a
township as the case may be. In cities where ward
committeepersons are elected, the person receiving the highest
number of votes of his party for ward committeeperson of his
ward shall be declared elected ward committeeperson from said
ward.
When 2 two or more persons receive an equal and the highest
number of votes for the nomination for the same office or for
committeeperson of the same political party, or where more
than one person of the same political party is to be nominated
as a candidate for office or committeeperson, if it appears
that more than the number of persons to be nominated for an
office or elected committeeperson have the highest and an
equal number of votes for the nomination for the same office or
for election as committeeperson, the election authority by
which the returns of the primary are canvassed shall decide by
lot which of said persons shall be nominated or elected, as the
case may be. In such case the election authority shall issue
notice in writing to such persons of such tie vote stating
therein the place, the day (which shall not be more than 5 days
thereafter) and the hour when such nomination or election
shall be so determined.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, write-in
votes shall be counted only for persons who have filed
notarized declarations of intent to be write-in candidates
with the proper election authority or authorities not later

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than 61 days prior to the primary. However, whenever an
objection to a candidate's nominating papers or petitions for
any office is sustained under Section 10-10 after the 61st day
before the election, then write-in votes shall be counted for
that candidate if he or she has filed a notarized declaration
of intent to be a write-in candidate for that office with the
proper election authority or authorities not later than 7 days
prior to the election.
Forms for the declaration of intent to be a write-in
candidate shall be supplied by the election authorities. Such
declaration shall specify the office for which the person
seeks nomination or election as a write-in candidate.
The election authority or authorities shall deliver a list
of all persons who have filed such declarations to the
election judges in the appropriate precincts prior to the
primary.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this
Section, where the number of candidates whose names have been
printed on a party's ballot for nomination for or election to
an office at a primary is less than the number of persons the
party is entitled to nominate for or elect to the office at the
primary, a person whose name was not printed on the party's
primary ballot as a candidate for nomination for or election
to the office, is not nominated for or elected to that office
as a result of a write-in vote at the primary unless the number
of votes he received equals or exceeds the number of

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signatures required on a petition for nomination for that
office; or unless the number of votes he receives exceeds the
number of votes received by at least one of the candidates
whose names were printed on the primary ballot for nomination
for or election to the same office.
(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply where
the number of candidates whose names have been printed on the
party's ballot for nomination for or election to the office at
the primary equals or exceeds the number of persons the party
is entitled to nominate for or elect to the office at the
primary.
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; revised 2-28-22.)
(10 ILCS 5/16-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 16-3)
Sec. 16-3. (a) The names of all candidates to be voted for
in each election district or precinct shall be printed on one
ballot, except as is provided in Sections 16-6.1 and 21-1.01
of this Code Act and except as otherwise provided in this Code
Act with respect to the odd year regular elections and the
emergency referenda; all nominations of any political party
being placed under the party appellation or title of such
party as designated in the certificates of nomination or
petitions. The names of all independent candidates shall be
printed upon the ballot in a column or columns under the
heading "independent" arranged under the names or titles of
the respective offices for which such independent candidates

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shall have been nominated and so far as practicable, the name
or names of any independent candidate or candidates for any
office shall be printed upon the ballot opposite the name or
names of any candidate or candidates for the same office
contained in any party column or columns upon said ballot. The
ballot shall contain no other names, except that in cases of
electors for President and Vice-President of the United
States, the names of the candidates for President and
Vice-President may be added to the party designation and words
calculated to aid the voter in his choice of candidates may be
added, such as "Vote for one," "Vote for not more than three."
If no candidate or candidates file for an office and if no
person or persons file a declaration as a write-in candidate
for that office, then below the title of that office the
election authority instead shall print "No Candidate". When an
electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot label
booklet, the candidates and questions shall appear on the
pages of such booklet in the order provided by this Code; and,
in any case where candidates for an office appear on a page
which does not contain the name of any candidate for another
office, and where less than 50% of the page is utilized, the
name of no candidate shall be printed on the lowest 25% of such
page. On the back or outside of the ballot, so as to appear
when folded, shall be printed the words "Official Ballot",
followed by the designation of the polling place for which the
ballot is prepared, the date of the election and a facsimile of

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the signature of the election authority who has caused the
ballots to be printed. The ballots shall be of plain white
paper, through which the printing or writing cannot be read.
However, ballots for use at the nonpartisan and consolidated
elections may be printed on different color paper, except blue
paper, whenever necessary or desirable to facilitate
distinguishing between ballots for different political
subdivisions. In the case of nonpartisan elections for
officers of a political subdivision, unless the statute or an
ordinance adopted pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution
providing the form of government therefor requires otherwise,
the column listing such nonpartisan candidates shall be
printed with no appellation or circle at its head. The party
appellation or title, or the word "independent" at the head of
any column provided for independent candidates, shall be
printed in letters not less than one-fourth of an inch in
height and a circle one-half inch in diameter shall be printed
at the beginning of the line in which such appellation or title
is printed, provided, however, that no such circle shall be
printed at the head of any column or columns provided for such
independent candidates. The names of candidates shall be
printed in letters not less than one-eighth nor more than
one-fourth of an inch in height, and at the beginning of each
line in which a name of a candidate is printed a square shall
be printed, the sides of which shall be not less than
one-fourth of an inch in length. However, the names of the

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candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on the same
ticket shall be printed within a bracket and a single square
shall be printed in front of the bracket. The list of
candidates of the several parties and any such list of
independent candidates shall be placed in separate columns on
the ballot in such order as the election authorities charged
with the printing of the ballots shall decide; provided, that
the names of the candidates of the several political parties,
certified by the State Board of Elections to the several
county clerks shall be printed by the county clerk of the
proper county on the official ballot in the order certified by
the State Board of Elections. Any county clerk refusing,
neglecting or failing to print on the official ballot the
names of candidates of the several political parties in the
order certified by the State Board of Elections, and any
county clerk who prints or causes to be printed upon the
official ballot the name of a candidate, for an office to be
filled by the Electors of the entire State, whose name has not
been duly certified to him upon a certificate signed by the
State Board of Elections shall be guilty of a Class C
misdemeanor.
(b) When an electronic voting system is used which
utilizes a ballot card, on the inside flap of each ballot card
envelope there shall be printed a form for write-in voting
which shall be substantially as follows:
WRITE-IN VOTES

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(See card of instructions for specific information.
Duplicate form below by hand for additional write-in votes.)
.............................
Title of Office
( ) .............................
Name of Candidate
Write-in lines equal to the number of candidates for which
a voter may vote shall be printed for an office only if one or
more persons filed declarations of intent to be write-in
candidates or qualify to file declarations to be write-in
candidates under Sections 17-16.1 and 18-9.1 when the
certification of ballot contains the words "OBJECTION
PENDING".
(c) When an electronic voting system is used which uses a
ballot sheet, the instructions to voters on the ballot sheet
shall refer the voter to the card of instructions for specific
information on write-in voting. Below each office appearing on
such ballot sheet there shall be a provision for the casting of
a write-in vote. Write-in lines equal to the number of
candidates for which a voter may vote shall be printed for an
office only if one or more persons filed declarations of
intent to be write-in candidates or qualify to file
declarations to be write-in candidates under Sections 17-16.1
and 18-9.1 when the certification of ballot contains the words
"OBJECTION PENDING".
(d) When such electronic system is used, there shall be

SB0315 - 24 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
printed on the back of each ballot card, each ballot card
envelope, and the first page of the ballot label when a ballot
label is used, the words "Official Ballot," followed by the
number of the precinct or other precinct identification, which
may be stamped, in lieu thereof and, as applicable, the number
and name of the township, ward or other election district for
which the ballot card, ballot card envelope, and ballot label
are prepared, the date of the election and a facsimile of the
signature of the election authority who has caused the ballots
to be printed. The back of the ballot card shall also include a
method of identifying the ballot configuration such as a
listing of the political subdivisions and districts for which
votes may be cast on that ballot, or a number code identifying
the ballot configuration or color coded ballots, except that
where there is only one ballot configuration in a precinct,
the precinct identification, and any applicable ward
identification, shall be sufficient. Ballot card envelopes
used in punch card systems shall be of paper through which no
writing or punches may be discerned and shall be of sufficient
length to enclose all voting positions. However, the election
authority may provide ballot card envelopes on which no
precinct number or township, ward or other election district
designation, or election date are preprinted, if space and a
preprinted form are provided below the space provided for the
names of write-in candidates where such information may be
entered by the judges of election. Whenever an election

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authority utilizes ballot card envelopes on which the election
date and precinct is not preprinted, a judge of election shall
mark such information for the particular precinct and election
on the envelope in ink before tallying and counting any
write-in vote written thereon. If some method of insuring
ballot secrecy other than an envelope is used, such
information must be provided on the ballot itself.
(e) In the designation of the name of a candidate on the
ballot, the candidate's given name or names, initial or
initials, a nickname by which the candidate is commonly known,
or a combination thereof, may be used in addition to the
candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her
name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in
Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the
last day for filing the petition for nomination, nomination
papers, or certificate of nomination for that office,
whichever is applicable, then (i) the candidate's name on the
ballot must be followed by "formerly known as (list all prior
names during the 3-year period) until name changed on (list
date of each such name change)" and (ii) the petition, papers,
or certificate must be accompanied by the candidate's
affidavit stating the candidate's previous names during the
period specified in (i) and the date or dates each of those
names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be
grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for
the ballot or removing the candidate's name from the ballot,

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as appropriate, but these requirements do not apply to name
changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's
or parents' surname, marriage or civil union to assume a
spouse's surname, or dissolution of marriage or civil union or
declaration of invalidity of marriage or civil union to assume
a former surname or a name change that conforms the
candidate's name to his or her gender identity. No other
designation such as a political slogan, title, or degree or
nickname suggesting or implying possession of a title, degree
or professional status, or similar information may be used in
connection with the candidate's surname. For purposes of this
Section, a "political slogan" is defined as any word or words
expressing or connoting a position, opinion, or belief that
the candidate may espouse, including, but not limited to, any
word or words conveying any meaning other than that of the
personal identity of the candidate. A candidate may not use a
political slogan as part of his or her name on the ballot,
notwithstanding that the political slogan may be part of the
candidate's name.
(f) The State Board of Elections, a local election
official, or an election authority shall remove any
candidate's name designation from a ballot that is
inconsistent with subsection (e) of this Section. In addition,
the State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an
election authority shall not certify to any election authority
any candidate name designation that is inconsistent with

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subsection (e) of this Section.
(g) If the State Board of Elections, a local election
official, or an election authority removes a candidate's name
designation from a ballot under subsection (f) of this
Section, then the aggrieved candidate may seek appropriate
relief in circuit court.
(h) Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this Section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever
is applicable.
(i) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit election
authorities from using or reusing ballot card envelopes which
were printed before January 1, 1986 (the effective date of
Public Act 84-820) this amendatory Act of 1985.
(j) For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; revised 2-28-22.)
(10 ILCS 5/17-11) (from Ch. 46, par. 17-11)
Sec. 17-11. On receipt of his ballot the voter shall
forthwith, and without leaving the inclosed space, retire
alone, or accompanied by children as provided in Section 17-8,
to one of the voting booths so provided and shall prepare his
ballot by making in the appropriate margin or place a cross (X)
opposite the name of the candidate of his choice for each

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office to be filled, or by writing in the name of the candidate
of his choice in a blank space on said ticket, making a cross
(X) opposite thereto; and in case of a question submitted to
the vote of the people, by making in the appropriate margin or
place a cross (X) against the answer he desires to give. A
cross (X) in the square in front of the bracket enclosing the
names of a team of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor counts as one vote for each of such candidates.
Before leaving the voting booth the voter shall fold his
ballot in such manner as to conceal the marks thereon. He shall
then vote forthwith in the manner herein provided, except that
the number corresponding to the number of the voter on the poll
books shall not be indorsed on the back of his ballot. He shall
mark and deliver his ballot without undue delay, and shall
quit said inclosed space as soon as he has voted; except that
immediately after voting, the voter shall be instructed
whether the voting equipment, if used, accepted or rejected
the ballot or identified the ballot as under-voted for a
statewide constitutional office. A voter whose ballot is
identified as under-voted may return to the voting booth and
complete the voting of that ballot. A voter whose ballot is not
accepted by the voting equipment may, upon surrendering the
ballot, request and vote another ballot. If a ballot for an
office elected by ranked choice voting is considered
under-voted pursuant to Section 22A-5, the voter may, upon
surrendering the ballot, request and vote upon another ballot.

SB0315 - 29 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
The voter's surrendered ballot shall be initialed by the
election judge and handled as provided in the appropriate
Article governing that voting equipment.
No voter shall be allowed to occupy a voting booth already
occupied by another, nor remain within said inclosed space
more than ten minutes, nor to occupy a voting booth more than
five minutes in case all of said voting booths are in use and
other voters waiting to occupy the same. No voter not an
election officer, shall, after having voted, be allowed to
re-enter said inclosed space during said election. No person
shall take or remove any ballot from the polling place before
the close of the poll. No voter shall vote or offer to vote any
ballot except such as he has received from the judges of
election in charge of the ballots. Any voter who shall, by
accident or mistake, spoil his ballot, may, on returning said
spoiled ballot, receive another in place thereof only after
the word "spoiled" has been written in ink diagonally across
the entire face of the ballot returned by the voter.
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24, 24A, 24B, or 24C,
whichever is applicable, except that the requirements of this
Section that (i) the voter must be notified of the voting
equipment's acceptance or rejection of the voter's ballot or
identification of an under-vote for a statewide constitutional
office and (ii) the voter shall have the opportunity to

SB0315 - 30 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
correct an under-vote or surrender the ballot that was not
accepted and vote another ballot shall not be modified.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 94-288, eff. 1-1-06; 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)
(10 ILCS 5/17-18) (from Ch. 46, par. 17-18)
Sec. 17-18. Immediately upon closing the polls the judges
shall proceed to canvass the votes polled. They shall first
count the whole number of ballots in the box. If 2 or more
ballots are folded together so as to appear to have been cast
by the same person, all of the ballots so folded together shall
be marked and returned with the other ballots in the same
conditions, as near as may be, in which they were found when
first opened, but shall not be counted. If the remaining
ballots shall be found to exceed the number of applications
for ballot, the ballots shall be replaced in the box, and the
box closed and well shaken and again opened and one of the
judges shall publicly draw out so many ballots unopened as
shall be equal to such excess; and the number of the ballots
agreeing with the poll lists, or being made to agree. Such
excess ballots shall be marked "Excess-Not Counted" and signed
by a majority of the judges and shall be placed in the "After
6:00 p.m. Defective Ballots Envelope". The number of excess
ballots shall be noted in the remarks section of the

SB0315 - 31 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
Certificate of Results. "Excess" ballots shall not be counted
in the total of "defective" ballots.
The judges shall then proceed to count and record the
votes; and when the judges of election shall open and read the
ballots, 3 judges, with at least one from each political party
from which the precinct judges were chosen, shall carefully
and correctly mark down upon the three tally sheets the vote
each candidate has received, in a separate box prepared for
that purpose, with the name of such candidate at the head of
such box, and the office designated by the votes such
candidate shall fill. Whenever a proposition is submitted to
the electors at the same election, the ballots for or against
such proposition shall always be canvassed, counted or
tallied. The votes shall be canvassed in the room or place
where the election is held, and the judges shall not allow the
ballot box, or any of the ballots, or the applications for
ballot, or any of the tally sheets to be removed or carried
away from such room or place, until the canvass of the vote is
completed, and the returns carefully enveloped and sealed up
as provided by law.
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever
is applicable.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or

SB0315 - 32 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 83-333.)
(10 ILCS 5/18-5) (from Ch. 46, par. 18-5)
Sec. 18-5. Any person desiring to vote and whose name is
found upon the register of voters by the person having charge
thereof, shall then be questioned by one of the judges as to
his nativity, his term of residence at present address,
precinct, State and United States, his age, whether
naturalized and if so the date of naturalization papers and
court from which secured, and he shall be asked to state his
residence when last previously registered and the date of the
election for which he then registered. The judges of elections
shall check each application for ballot against the list of
voters registered in that precinct to whom grace period, vote
by mail, and early ballots have been issued for that election,
which shall be provided by the election authority and which
list shall be available for inspection by pollwatchers. A
voter applying to vote in the precinct on election day whose
name appears on the list as having been issued a grace period,
vote by mail, or early ballot shall not be permitted to vote in
the precinct, except that a voter to whom a vote by mail ballot
was issued may vote in the precinct if the voter submits to the
election judges that vote by mail ballot for cancellation. If
the voter is unable to submit the vote by mail ballot, it shall
be sufficient for the voter to submit to the election judges

SB0315 - 33 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
(i) a portion of the vote by mail ballot if the vote by mail
ballot was torn or mutilated or (ii) an affidavit executed
before the election judges specifying that (A) the voter never
received a vote by mail ballot or (B) the voter completed and
returned a vote by mail ballot and was informed that the
election authority did not receive that vote by mail ballot.
If such person so registered shall be challenged as
disqualified, the party challenging shall assign his reasons
therefor, and thereupon one of the judges shall administer to
him an oath to answer questions, and if he shall take the oath
he shall then be questioned by the judge or judges touching
such cause of challenge, and touching any other cause of
disqualification. And he may also be questioned by the person
challenging him in regard to his qualifications and identity.
But if a majority of the judges are of the opinion that he is
the person so registered and a qualified voter, his vote shall
then be received accordingly. But if his vote be rejected by
such judges, such person may afterward produce and deliver an
affidavit to such judges, subscribed and sworn to by him
before one of the judges, in which it shall be stated how long
he has resided in such precinct, and state; that he is a
citizen of the United States, and is a duly qualified voter in
such precinct, and that he is the identical person so
registered. In addition to such an affidavit, the person so
challenged shall provide to the judges of election proof of
residence by producing 2 forms of identification showing the

SB0315 - 34 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
person's current residence address, provided that such
identification may include a lease or contract for a residence
and not more than one piece of mail addressed to the person at
his current residence address and postmarked not earlier than
30 days prior to the date of the election, or the person shall
procure a witness personally known to the judges of election,
and resident in the precinct (or district), or who shall be
proved by some legal voter of such precinct or district, known
to the judges to be such, who shall take the oath following,
viz:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am a resident of
this election precinct (or district), and entitled to vote at
this election, and that I have been a resident of this State
for 30 days last past, and am well acquainted with the person
whose vote is now offered; that he is an actual and bona fide
resident of this election precinct (or district), and has
resided herein 30 days, and as I verily believe, in this State,
30 days next preceding this election.
The oath in each case may be administered by one of the
judges of election, or by any officer, resident in the
precinct or district, authorized by law to administer oaths.
Also supported by an affidavit by a registered voter residing
in such precinct, stating his own residence, and that he knows
such person; and that he does reside at the place mentioned and
has resided in such precinct and state for the length of time
as stated by such person, which shall be subscribed and sworn

SB0315 - 35 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
to in the same way. For purposes of this Section, the
submission of a photo identification issued by a college or
university, accompanied by either (i) a copy of the
applicant's contract or lease for a residence or (ii) one
piece of mail addressed to the person at his or her current
residence address and postmarked not earlier than 30 days
prior to the date of the election, shall be sufficient to
establish proof of residence. Whereupon the vote of such
person shall be received, and entered as other votes. But such
judges, having charge of such registers, shall state in their
respective books the facts in such case, and the affidavits,
so delivered to the judges, shall be preserved and returned to
the office of the commissioners of election. Blank affidavits
of the character aforesaid shall be sent out to the judges of
all the precincts, and the judges of election shall furnish
the same on demand and administer the oaths without criticism.
Such oaths, if administered by any other officer than such
judge of election, shall not be received. Whenever a proposal
for a constitutional amendment or for the calling of a
constitutional convention is to be voted upon at the election,
the separate blue ballot or ballots pertaining thereto shall
be placed on top of the other ballots to be voted at the
election in such manner that the legend appearing on the back
thereof, as prescribed in Section 16-6 of this Act, shall be
plainly visible to the voter, and in this fashion the ballots
shall be handed to the voter by the judge.

SB0315 - 36 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
Immediately after voting, the voter shall be instructed
whether the voting equipment, if used, accepted or rejected
the ballot or identified the ballot as under-voted. A voter
whose ballot is identified as under-voted for a statewide
constitutional office may return to the voting booth and
complete the voting of that ballot. A voter whose ballot is not
accepted by the voting equipment may, upon surrendering the
ballot, request and vote another ballot. If a ballot for an
office elected by ranked choice voting is considered
under-voted as defined in Section 22A-5, the voter may, upon
surrendering the ballot, request and vote upon another ballot.
The voter's surrendered ballot shall be initialed by the
election judge and handled as provided in the appropriate
Article governing that voting equipment.
The voter shall, upon quitting the voting booth, deliver
to one of the judges of election all of the ballots, properly
folded, which he received. The judge of election to whom the
voter delivers his ballots shall not accept the same unless
all of the ballots given to the voter are returned by him. If a
voter delivers less than all of the ballots given to him, the
judge to whom the same are offered shall advise him in a voice
clearly audible to the other judges of election that the voter
must return the remainder of the ballots. The statement of the
judge to the voter shall clearly express the fact that the
voter is not required to vote such remaining ballots but that
whether or not he votes them he must fold and deliver them to

SB0315 - 37 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
the judge. In making such statement the judge of election
shall not indicate by word, gesture or intonation of voice
that the unreturned ballots shall be voted in any particular
manner. No new voter shall be permitted to enter the voting
booth of a voter who has failed to deliver the total number of
ballots received by him until such voter has returned to the
voting booth pursuant to the judge's request and again quit
the booth with all of the ballots required to be returned by
him. Upon receipt of all such ballots the judges of election
shall enter the name of the voter, and his number, as above
provided in this Section, and the judge to whom the ballots are
delivered shall immediately put the ballots into the ballot
box. If any voter who has failed to deliver all the ballots
received by him refuses to return to the voting booth after
being advised by the judge of election as herein provided, the
judge shall inform the other judges of such refusal, and
thereupon the ballot or ballots returned to the judge shall be
deposited in the ballot box, the voter shall be permitted to
depart from the polling place, and a new voter shall be
permitted to enter the voting booth.
The judge of election who receives the ballot or ballots
from the voter shall announce the residence and name of such
voter in a loud voice. The judge shall put the ballot or
ballots received from the voter into the ballot box in the
presence of the voter and the judges of election, and in plain
view of the public. The judges having charge of such registers

SB0315 - 38 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
shall then, in a column prepared thereon, in the same line of,
the name of the voter, mark "Voted" or the letter "V".
No judge of election shall accept from any voter less than
the full number of ballots received by such voter without
first advising the voter in the manner above provided of the
necessity of returning all of the ballots, nor shall any such
judge advise such voter in a manner contrary to that which is
herein permitted, or in any other manner violate the
provisions of this Section; provided, that the acceptance by a
judge of election of less than the full number of ballots
delivered to a voter who refuses to return to the voting booth
after being properly advised by such judge shall not be a
violation of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)
(10 ILCS 5/18-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 18-9)
Sec. 18-9. The judges of election shall first count the
whole number of ballots in the box. If the ballots shall be
found to exceed the number of applications for ballot, they
shall reject the ballots, if any, found folded inside of a
ballot. And if the ballots and the applications for ballot
still do not agree after such rejection, the ballots shall be
replaced in the box and the box closed and well shaken, and
again opened; and one of the judges shall publicly draw out so
many ballots unopened as shall be equal to such excess. Such
excess ballots shall be marked "Excess-Not Counted" and signed

SB0315 - 39 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
by a majority of judges and shall be placed in the "After 6:00
p.m. Defective Ballots Envelope". The number of excess ballots
shall be noted in the remarks section of the Certificate of
Results. "Excess" ballots shall not be counted in the total of
"defective" ballots. And the ballots and applications for
ballot being made to agree in this way, the judges shall
proceed to count the votes in the following manner: The judges
shall open the ballots and place those which contain the same
names together, so that the several kinds shall be in separate
piles or on separate files. Each of the judges shall examine
the separate files which are, or are supposed to be, alike, and
exclude from such files any which may have a name or an
erasure, or in any manner shall be different from the others of
such file. One of the judges shall then take one file of the
kind of ballots which contain the same names, and count them by
tens, carefully examining each name on each of the ballots.
Such judge shall then pass the ten ballots aforesaid to the
judge sitting next to him, who shall count them in the same
manner, who shall then pass them to a third judge, who shall
also count them in the same manner. Then the third judge shall
call the names of the persons named in the ten ballots, and the
offices for which they are designated, and 2 of the judges, who
did not assist in the counting shall tally ten votes for each
of such persons, except as herein otherwise provided. When the
judges shall have gone through such file of ballots,
containing the same names, and shall count them by tens in the

SB0315 - 40 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
same way, and shall call the names of the persons named in the
ballots and the office for which they are designated, the
tally judges shall tally the votes by tens for each of such
persons in the same manner as in the first instance. When the
counting of each file of ballots which contain the same names
shall be completed, the tally judges shall compare their
tallies together and ascertain the total number of ballots of
that kind so canvassed; and when they agree upon the number,
one of them shall announce it in a loud voice to the other
judges. The judges shall then canvass the other kinds of
ballots which do not correspond, those containing names partly
from one kind of ballots and partly from another, being those
from which the name of the person proper to be voted for on
such ballots has been omitted or erased, usually called
"scratched tickets". They shall be canvassed separately by one
of the judges sitting between 2 other judges, which judge
shall call each name to the tally judges and the office for
which it is designated, and the other judges looking at the
ballot at the same time, and the tally judges making tally of
the same. When all the ballots have been canvassed in this
manner, the tally judges shall compare their tallies together,
and ascertain the total number of votes received by each
candidate and when they agree upon the numbers one of them
shall announce in a loud voice to the judges the number of
votes received by each candidate on each of the kinds of
ballots containing his name, the number received by him on

SB0315 - 41 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
scratch tickets, and the total number of votes received by
him.
The votes for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant
Governor shall be counted and tallied jointly.
Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are
used, the provisions of this section may be modified as
required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever
is applicable.
For an office elected by ranked choice voting, the
provisions of this Section may be modified as required or
authorized by Article 22A.
(Source: P.A. 89-700, eff. 1-17-97.)
(10 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 21-2)
Sec. 21-2. The county clerks of the several counties
shall, within 21 days next after holding the election named in
subsection (1) of Section 2A-1.2 and Section 2A-2, make 2
copies of the abstract of the votes cast for electors by each
political party or group, as indicated by the voter for an
office elected by ranked choice voting, as aforesaid, by a
cross in the square to the left of the bracket aforesaid, or as
indicated by a cross in the appropriate place preceding the
appellation or title of the particular political party or
group, and transmit by mail one of the copies to the office of
the State Board of Elections and retain the other in his
office, to be sent for by the electoral board in case the other

SB0315 - 42 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
should be mislaid. Within 31 days after the holding of such
election, and sooner if all the returns are received by the
State Board of Elections, the State Board of Elections shall
proceed to open and canvass said election returns by ranked
choice voting tabulation as described in Article 22A, and to
declare which set of candidates for President and
Vice-President received, as aforesaid, the highest number of
votes cast at such election as aforesaid; and the electors of
that party whose candidates for President and Vice-President
received the highest number of votes so cast shall be taken and
deemed to be elected as electors of President and
Vice-President, but should 2 or more sets of candidates for
President and Vice-President be returned with an equal and the
highest vote, the State Board of Elections shall cause a
notice of the same to be published, which notice shall name
some day and place, not less than 5 days from the time of such
publication of such notice, upon which the State Board of
Elections will decide by lot which of the sets of candidates
for President and Vice-President so equal and highest shall be
declared to be highest. And upon the day and at the place so
appointed in the notice, the board shall so decide by lot and
declare which is deemed highest of the sets of candidates for
President and Vice-President so equal and highest, thereby
determining only that the electors chosen as aforesaid by such
candidates' party or group are thereby elected by general
ticket to be such electors.

SB0315 - 43 - LRB103 26093 BMS 52448 b
(Source: P.A. 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
(10 ILCS 5/22-7) (from Ch. 46, par. 22-7)
Sec. 22-7. Canvass of votes; declaration and proclamation
of result. The State Board of Elections, shall proceed within
31 days after the election, and sooner if all the returns are
received, to canvass the votes given for United States
Senators and Representatives to Congress, State executive
officers, judges of the Supreme Court, judges of the Appellate
Court, judges of the Circuit Court, Senators, Representatives
to the General Assembly, State's Attorneys and Regional
Superintendents of Schools elected from 2 or more counties,
respectively. For an office elected by ranked choice voting,
the canvass shall be done by ranked choice voting tabulation
as described in Article 22A. The , and the persons having the
highest number of votes for the respective offices shall be
declared duly elected, but if it appears that more than the
number of persons to be elected have the highest and an equal
number of votes for the same office, the electoral board shall
decide by lot which of such persons shall be elected; and to
each person duly elected, the Governor shall give a
certificate of election or commission, as the case may
require, and shall cause proclamation to be made of the result
of the canvass, and they shall at the same time and in the same
manner, canvass the vote cast upon amendments to the
Constitution, and upon other propositions submitted to the

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electors of the entire State; and the Governor shall cause to
be made such proclamation of the result of the canvass as the
statutes elsewhere provide. The State Board of Elections shall
transmit to the State Comptroller a list of the persons
elected to the various offices. The State Board of Elections
shall also transmit to the Supreme Court the names of persons
elected to judgeships in adversary elections and the names of
judges who fail to win retention in office.
No person who is shown by the canvassing board's
proclamation to have been elected at the consolidated election
or general election as a write-in candidate shall take office
unless that person has first filed with the certifying office
or board a statement of candidacy pursuant to Section 7-10 or
Section 10-5, a statement pursuant to Section 7-10.1, and a
receipt for filing a statement of economic interests in
relation to the unit of government to which he or she has been
elected. For officers elected at the consolidated election,
the certifying officer shall notify the election authority of
the receipt of those documents, and the county clerk shall
issue the certification of election under the provisions of
Section 22-18.
(Source: P.A. 93-847, eff. 7-30-04; 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
(10 ILCS 5/Art. 22A heading new)
ARTICLE 22A. RANKED CHOICE VOTING

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(10 ILCS 5/22A-1 new)
Sec. 22A-1. Applicability. An election for an office
elected by ranked choice voting involving 3 or more
candidates, including qualified write-in candidates, shall be
conducted pursuant to the procedures set forth in this
Article.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-5 new)
Sec. 22A-5. Definitions. As used in this Article:
"Active ballot" means a ballot that is not an inactive
ballot.
"Active candidate" means a candidate who has not been
defeated.
"Highest-ranked active candidate" means the highest
ranking on a voter's ballot for an active candidate.
"Inactive ballot" is a ballot that does not count for any
candidate for any of the reasons given in Section 22A-45.
"Overvote" means a circumstance in which a voter has
ranked more than one candidate at the same ranking.
"Ranking" means the number available to be assigned by a
voter to a candidate to express the voter's choice for that
candidate. The number "1" is the highest ranking, followed by
"2" and then "3" and so on.
"Round" means an instance of the sequence of voting
tabulation steps established in Section 22A-30.
"Skipped ranking" means a voter has left a ranking

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unassigned but ranks a candidate at a subsequent ranking.
"Undervote" means a circumstance in which a voter has not
ranked any candidate for a particular office.
"Under-voted" means a case where a ballot does not contain
rankings for any candidate for a particular office.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-10 new)
Sec. 22A-10. Ranked choice voting ballots. A ranked choice
voting ballot shall be laid out to allow the voter to rank the
candidates for an office in order of preference. The ballot
shall allow voters to rank as many choices as there are
qualified candidates, including qualified write-in candidates,
except as provided in this Section. If the voting equipment
cannot accommodate a number of rankings on the ballot equal to
the number of qualified candidates, an election authority may
limit the number of choices a voter may rank on a ballot to the
maximum number allowed by the equipment. If multiple types of
voting equipment are used in an election for the same office,
the State Board of Elections shall ensure that every ballot
allows voters to rank the same number of candidates.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-15 new)
Sec. 22A-15. Mixed-election method ballots. If elections
are held in which ranked choice voting is used in addition to
other methods of voting, the ranked choice and non-ranked
choice voting elections must be on the same ballot if

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possible, with ranked choice voting and non-ranked choice
voting portions clearly separated on the ballot. If placement
of all offices to be elected cannot be placed on a single
ballot, a separate ballot may be used for those offices to be
elected using ranked choice voting. Ballots may deviate from
the ordering established in Section 7-19 to allow for
separation of ranked choice voting and non-ranked choice
voting elections.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-20 new)
Sec. 22A-20. Ballot requirements. All other ballot
requirements of this Code apply to ranked choice voting
ballots to the extent that they do not contradict the
requirements of this Article.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-25 new)
Sec. 22A-25. First ranked choice tabulation.
(a) A first ranked choice tabulation shall be done under
this Section before tabulation as described in Section 22A-30.
A first ranked choice tabulation will consist of a first round
only. Under the first ranked choice tabulation, the vote total
will be the sum of the number one ranked votes.
(b) If the vote total for a candidate is greater than 50%
of the active ballots, the candidate shall be declared duly
elected. If not, tabulation shall proceed in rounds as
described in Section 22A-30.

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(10 ILCS 5/22A-30 new)
Sec. 22A-30. Ranked choice voting tabulation. Tabulation
must proceed in rounds as follows:
(1) If 2 or fewer active candidates remain, the
candidate with the greatest number of votes is declared
the winner of the election and tabulation is complete.
(2) If more than 2 active candidates remain, the
active candidate with the fewest votes is defeated. Votes
for the defeated candidate are transferred to each
ballot's next-highest-ranked active candidate and a new
round begins.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-35 new)
Sec. 22A-35. Ties. If during any round of tabulation 2 or
more candidates are tied with the fewest votes, and tabulation
cannot continue until the candidate with the fewest votes is
defeated, then the candidate to be defeated will be chosen by
lot. The result of the tie resolution must be recorded and
reused in the event of a recount. Election authorities may
resolve prospective ties between candidates before the
election.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-40 new)
Sec. 22A-40. Batch elimination. In any election conducted
by ranked choice voting, the election authority may modify the

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tabulation to include batch elimination. If the tabulation
does include batch elimination, then any time the active
candidate with the fewest votes would be defeated, all active
candidates in the elimination batch are simultaneously
defeated instead. An active candidate is in the elimination
batch if the number of elected and active candidates with more
votes than that candidate is greater than the number of
offices to be elected, and it is mathematically impossible for
that candidate to be elected for any of the following reasons:
(1) The candidate could never win because the
candidate's current vote total plus all votes that could
possibly be transferred to the candidate in future rounds
would not be enough to equal or surpass the active
candidate with the next higher current vote total.
(2) The candidate has a lower current vote total than
an active candidate who is described in paragraph (1).
(10 ILCS 5/22A-45 new)
Sec. 22A-45. Inactive ballots and undervotes.
(a) In any round of tabulation in an election conducted by
ranked choice voting, an inactive ballot does not count for
any candidate. A ballot is inactive if any of the following is
true:
(1) It does not contain any active candidates and is
not an undervote.
(2) It has reached an overvote.

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(3) It has reached 2 consecutive skipped rankings.
(b) A ballot that is under-voted does not count as an
active or inactive ballot in any round of tabulation.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-50 new)
Sec. 22A-50. Precinct returns.
(a) For elections for an office elected by ranked choice
voting, precinct returns must include, at minimum, the number
of votes in the first ranking for each candidate.
(b) The processes for making precinct returns, as
described in Articles 7, 17, and 18, may be modified by the
State Board of Elections or other election authority to allow
for compliance with this Section.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-55 new)
Sec. 22A-55. Rights of political parties. For all
statutory and constitutional provisions in the State
pertaining to the rights of political parties or the number of
votes cast for an officer or candidate, the number of votes
cast for a party's candidate for an office elected by ranked
choice voting is the number of votes credited to that
candidate in the first ranked choice tabulation described in
Section 22A-25.
(10 ILCS 5/22A-60 new)
Sec. 22A-60. Adoption of rules. The State Board of

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Elections may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this
Article.
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INDEX
Statutes amended in order of appearance
10 ILCS 5/1-3 from Ch. 46, par. 1-3
10 ILCS 5/7-46 from Ch. 46, par. 7-46
10 ILCS 5/7-52 from Ch. 46, par. 7-52
10 ILCS 5/7-53 from Ch. 46, par. 7-53
10 ILCS 5/7-56 from Ch. 46, par. 7-56
10 ILCS 5/7-59 from Ch. 46, par. 7-59
10 ILCS 5/16-3 from Ch. 46, par. 16-3
10 ILCS 5/17-11 from Ch. 46, par. 17-11
10 ILCS 5/17-18 from Ch. 46, par. 17-18
10 ILCS 5/18-5 from Ch. 46, par. 18-5
10 ILCS 5/18-9 from Ch. 46, par. 18-9
10 ILCS 5/21-2 from Ch. 46, par. 21-2
10 ILCS 5/22-7 from Ch. 46, par. 22-7
10 ILCS 5/Art. 22A heading
new
10 ILCS 5/22A-1 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-5 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-10 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-15 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-20 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-25 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-30 new
10 ILCS 5/22A-35 new
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