HB1315 Enrolled

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    AN ACT concerning elections.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 5. The Election Code is amended  by changing Section  
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17-14 as follows:
 



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    (10 ILCS 5/17-14)  (from Ch. 46, par. 17-14)



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    Sec. 17-14. Any voter who declares upon oath, properly 
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witnessed and with
his or her signature or mark affixed, that 
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he or she requires
assistance to vote by reason of blindness, 
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physical disability or inability
to read, write or speak the 
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English language shall, upon request, be
assisted in marking 
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his or her ballot, by 2 judges of
election of different 
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political parties, to be selected by all
judges of election of 
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each precinct at the opening of the polls or by a
person of the 
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voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of

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that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union.  A
voter 
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who presents an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, 
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issued
to that person under the provisions of the Illinois 
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Identification Card
Act, indicating that such voter has a Class 
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1A or Class 2 disability under
the provisions of Section 4A of 
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the Illinois Identification Card Act, or a
voter who declares 
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upon oath, properly witnessed, that by reason of any
physical

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disability he is unable to mark his ballot shall, upon request, 
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be assisted
in marking his ballot by 2 of the election officers 
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of different parties as
provided above in this Section or by a 
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person of the voter's choice other
than the voter's employer or 
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agent of that employer or officer or agent of
the voter's 
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union. Such voter shall state specifically the
reason why he 
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cannot vote without assistance and, in the case of a
physically 
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disabled voter, what his physical disability is and
whether or 
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not the disability is permanent.  Prior to entering the voting

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booth,
the person providing the assistance, if other than 2 
 


 






HB1315 Enrolled
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LRB094 07318 JAM 37476 b




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judges of election,
shall be presented with written 
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instructions on how assistance shall be
provided.
This 
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instruction shall be prescribed by the State Board of Elections 
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and shall
include the penalties for attempting to influence the 
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voter's choice of
candidates, party, or votes in relation to 
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any question on the ballot and for
not marking the ballot as 
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directed by the voter.  Additionally, the person
providing the 
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assistance shall sign an oath, swearing not to influence the

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voter's choice of candidates, party, or votes in relation to 
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any question on
the ballot and to cast the ballot as directed 
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by the voter.  The oath shall be
prescribed by the State Board 
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of Elections and shall include the penalty for
violating this 
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Section.  In the voting booth, such person
shall mark the
ballot 
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as directed by the voter, and shall thereafter give no 
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information
regarding the same. The judges of election shall 
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enter upon the poll lists
or official poll record after the 
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name of any elector who received such
assistance in marking his 
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ballot a memorandum of the fact and if the
disability is 
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permanent. Intoxication shall not be regarded as a physical

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disability, and no intoxicated person shall be entitled to 
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assistance in
marking his ballot.

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    No person shall secure or attempt to secure assistance in 
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voting who is
not blind, physically disabled or illiterate as 
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herein provided, nor shall any
person knowingly assist a voter 
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in voting contrary to the
provisions of this Section.

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(Source: P.A. 90-101, eff. 7-11-97.)