Article 1A

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10 ILCS 5/1A-2 — Composition of the State Board of Elections [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-2.1 — Oath [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-3 — Appointment & Confirmation [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-3.1 — Original Members[not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-4 — State Senate Confirmation [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-5 — Appointments [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-6 — Chair [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-6.1 — Chair Presides [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-7 — Meeting [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-8 — The Powers of the State Board of Elections [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-9 — Executive Director [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-10 — Record of Proceedings [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-11 — Main Office [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-12 — Employment [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-13 — Not Engaging in Partisan Political Activities [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-14 — Prohibited Political Activities [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-15 — The Use of Records to Aid Collection of Child Support [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-16 — Voter Registration Information

Voter registration information; Internet posting; processing of voter registration forms; content of such forms. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to voter registration under this Code.

• (a) Voter registration information; Internet posting of voter registration form. Within 90 days after August 21, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-574), the State Board of Elections shall post on its World Wide Web site the following information:
  • (1) A comprehensive list of the names, addresses, phone numbers, and websites, if applicable, of all county clerks and boards of election commissioners in Illinois.
  • (2) A schedule of upcoming elections and the deadline for voter registration.
  • (3) A downloadable, printable voter registration form, in at least English and in Spanish versions, that a person may complete and mail or submit to the State Board of Elections or the appropriate county clerk or board of election commissioners.

  Any forms described under paragraph (3) must state the following:

  If you do not have a driver's license or social security number, and this form is submitted by mail, and you have never registered to vote in the jurisdiction you are now registering in, then you must send, with this application, either

  • (i) a copy of a current and valid photo identification, or
  • (ii) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. If you do not provide the information required above, then you will be required to provide election officials with either (i) or (ii) described above the first time you vote at a voting place.
• (b) Acceptance of registration forms by the State Board of Elections and county clerks and board of election commissioners. The State Board of Elections, county clerks, and board of election commissioners shall accept all completed voter registration forms described in subsection (a)(3) of this Section and Section 1A-17 and voter registration forms created under Section 30 of the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, or Stalking Act that are:
  • (1) postmarked on or before the day that voter registration is closed under this Code;
  • (2) not postmarked, but arrives no later than 5 days after the close of registration;
  • (3) submitted in person by a person using the form on or before the day that voter registration is closed under this Code; or
  • (4) submitted in person by a person who submits one or more forms on behalf of one or more persons who used the form on or before the day that voter registration is closed under this Code.
  Upon the receipt of a registration form, the State Board of Elections shall mark the date on which the form was received and send the form via first class mail to the appropriate county clerk or board of election commissioners, as the case may be, within 2 business days based upon the home address of the person submitting the registration form. The county clerk and board of election commissioners shall accept and process any form received from the State Board of Elections.
• (c) Processing of registration forms by county clerks and boards of election commissioners. The county clerk or board of election commissioners shall promulgate procedures for processing the voter registration form.
• (d) Contents of the voter registration form. The State Board shall create a voter registration form, which must contain the following content:
  • (1) Instructions for completing the form.
  • (2) A summary of the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois.
  • (3) Instructions for mailing in or submitting the form in person.
  • (4) The phone number for the State Board of Elections should a person submitting the form have questions.
  • (5) A box for the person to check that explains one of 3 reasons for submitting the form:
    • (a) new registration;
    • (b) change of address; or
    • (c) change of name.
  • (6) a box for the person to check yes or no that asks, "Are you a citizen of the United States?", a box for the person to check yes or no that asks, "Will you be 18 years of age on or before election day?", and a statement of "If you checked 'no' in response to either of these questions, then do not complete this form.".
  • (7) A space for the person to fill in his or her home telephone number.
  • (8) Spaces for the person to fill in his or her first, middle, and last names, street address (principal place of residence), county, city, state, and zip code.
  • (9) Spaces for the person to fill in his or her mailing address, city, state, and zip code if different from his or her principal place of residence.
  • (10) A space for the person to fill in his or her Illinois driver's license number if the person has a driver's license.
  • (11) A space for a person without a driver's license to fill in the last four digits of his or her social security number if the person has a social security number.
  • (12) A space for a person without an Illinois driver's license to fill in his or her identification number from his or her State Identification card issued by the Secretary of State.
  • (13) A space for the person to fill the name appearing on his or her last voter registration, the street address of his or her last registration, including the city, county, state, and zip code.
  • (14) A space where the person swears or affirms the following under penalty of perjury with his or her signature:
    • (a) "I am a citizen of the United States.";
    • (b) "I will be at least 18 years old on or before the next election.";
    • (c) "I will have lived in the State of Illinois and in my election precinct at least 30 days as of the date of the next election."; and
    • (d) "The information I have provided is true to the best of my knowledge under penalty of perjury. If I have provided false information, then I may be fined, imprisoned, or, if I am not a U.S. citizen, deported from or refused entry into the United States.".
  • (15) A space for the person to fill in his or her e-mail address if he or she chooses to provide that information.
• (d-5) Compliance with federal law; rulemaking authority. The voter registration form described in this Section shall be consistent with the form prescribed by the Federal Election Commission under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, as amended from time to time, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002, P.L. 107-252, in all relevant respects. The State Board of Elections shall periodically update the form based on changes to federal or State law. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate any rules necessary for the implementation of this Section; provided that the rules comport with the letter and spirit of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Help America Vote Act of 2002 and maximize the opportunity for a person to register to vote.
• (d-10) No later than 90 days after the 2022 general election, the State Board of Elections shall permit applicants to choose between "male", "female", or "non-binary" when designating the applicant's sex on the voter registration form.
• (e) Forms available in paper form. The State Board of Elections shall make the voter registration form available in regular paper stock and form in sufficient quantities for the general public. The State Board of Elections may provide the voter registration form to the Secretary of State, county clerks, boards of election commissioners, designated agencies of the State of Illinois, and any other person or entity designated to have these forms by this Code in regular paper stock and form or some other format deemed suitable by the Board. Each county clerk or board of election commissioners has the authority to design and print its own voter registration form so long as the form complies with the requirements of this Section. The State Board of Elections, county clerks, boards of election commissioners, or other designated agencies of the State of Illinois required to have these forms under this Code shall provide a member of the public with any reasonable number of forms that he or she may request. Nothing in this Section shall permit the State Board of Elections, county clerk, board of election commissioners, or other appropriate election official who may accept a voter registration form to refuse to accept a voter registration form because the form is printed on photocopier or regular paper stock and form.
• (f) (Blank).

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.1 — Automatic Voter Registration Through the Secretary of State

Secretary of State

• (a) The Office of the Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections, pursuant to an interagency contract and jointly-adopted rules, shall establish an automatic voter registration program that satisfies the requirements of this Section and other applicable law.
• (b) If an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for a driver's license, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State meets the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, then that application shall serve as a dual-purpose application. The dual-purpose application shall:
  • (1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;
  • (2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address or name as it appears on the voter registration rolls;
  • (3) provide the applicant with an opportunity to affirmatively decline to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name by providing a check box on the application form without requiring the applicant to state the reason; and
  • (4) unless the applicant declines to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address or name, require the applicant to attest, by signature under penalty of perjury as described in subsection (e) of this Section, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her driver's license or identification card dual-purpose application.
• (b-5) If an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for a driver's license, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State does not meet the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, then that application shall serve as a dual-purpose application. The dual-purpose application shall:
  • (1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;
  • (2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address or name as it appears on the voter registration rolls; and
  • (3) if the applicant chooses to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name, then require the applicant to attest, by a separate signature under penalty of perjury, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her dual-purpose application.
• (b-10) The Office of the Secretary of State shall clearly and conspicuously inform each applicant in writing:
  • (i) of the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois,
  • (ii) of the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application,
  • (iii) that, unless the applicant declines to register to vote or update his or her voter registration, his or her dual-purpose application shall also serve as both an application to register to vote and his or her attestation that he or she meets the eligibility requirements for voter registration, and that his or her application to register to vote or update his or her registration will be transmitted to the State Board of Elections for the purpose of registering the person to vote at the residence address to be indicated on his or her driver's license or identification card, and
  • (iv) that declining to register to vote is confidential and will not affect any services the person may be seeking from the Office of the Secretary of State.
• (c) The Office of the Secretary of State shall review information provided to the Office of the Secretary of State by the State Board of Elections to inform each applicant for a driver's license or permit, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State whether the applicant is currently registered to vote in Illinois and, if registered, at what address.
• (d) The Office of the Secretary of State shall not require an applicant for a driver's license or State identification card to provide duplicate identification or information in order to complete an application to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address or name. Before transmitting any personal information about an applicant to the State Board of Elections, the Office of the Secretary of State shall review its records of the identification documents the applicant provided in order to complete the application for a driver's license or State identification card, to confirm that nothing in those documents indicates that the applicant does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address.
• (e) A completed, signed application for
  • (i) a driver's license or permit, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State, that meets the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005; or
  • (ii) a completed application under subsection (b-5) of this Section with a separate signature attesting the applicant meets the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her application shall constitute a signed application to register to vote in Illinois at the residence address indicated in the application unless the person affirmatively declined in the application to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name. If the identification documents provided to complete the dual-purpose application indicate that he or she does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address, the application shall be marked as incomplete.
• (f) For each completed and signed application that constitutes an application to register to vote in Illinois or provides for a change in the applicant's registered residence address or name, the Office of the Secretary of State shall electronically transmit to the State Board of Elections personal information needed to complete the person's registration to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. The application to register to vote shall be processed in accordance with Section 1A-16.7.
• (g) If the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 is repealed, abrogated, superseded, or otherwise no longer in effect, then the State Board of Elections shall establish criteria for determining reliable personal information indicating citizenship status and shall adopt rules as necessary for the Secretary of State to continue processing dual-purpose applications under this Section.
• (h) As used in this Section, "dual-purpose application" means an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for driver's license or permit, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card offered by the Secretary of State that also serves as an application to register to vote in Illinois. "Dual-purpose application" does not mean an application under subsection (c) of Section 6-109 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.2 — Designated Automatic Voter Registration Agencies

Automatic voter registration; designated automatic voter registration agencies.

• (a) Each designated automatic voter registration agency shall, pursuant to an interagency contract and jointly-adopted rules with the State Board of Elections, agree to participate in an automatic voter registration program established by the State Board of Elections that satisfies the requirements of this Section and other applicable law. If the designated automatic voter registration agency provides applications, applications for renewal, change of address forms, or recertification forms to individuals for services offered by another agency, then the State Board of Elections and the designated automatic voter agency shall consult with the other agency. The State Board of Elections shall consider the current technological capabilities of the designated voter registration agency when drafting interagency contracts and jointly-adopted rules. The State Board of Elections and the designated automatic voter registration agency shall amend these contracts and rules as the technological capabilities of the designated voter registration agencies improve.
• (b) As provided in subsection (a) of this Section, each designated automatic voter registration agency that collects or cross-references reliable personal information indicating citizenship status may provide that an application for a license, permit, program, or service shall serve as a dual-purpose application. The dual-purpose application shall:
  • (1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;
  • (2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address or name as it appears on the voter registration rolls;
  • (3) provide the applicant with an opportunity to affirmatively decline to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address or name by providing a check box on the application form without requiring the applicant to state the reason; and
  • (4) unless the applicant declines to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name, require the applicant to attest, by signature under penalty of perjury, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her dual-purpose application.
• (c) As provided in subsection (a) of this Section, each designated automatic voter registration agency that does not collect or cross-reference records containing reliable personal information indicating citizenship status may provide that an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for a license, permit, program, or service shall serve as a dual-purpose application. The dual-purpose application shall:
  • (1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;
  • (2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address or name as it appears on the voter registration rolls; and
  • (3) if the applicant chooses to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name, then require the applicant to attest, by a separate signature under penalty of perjury, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her dual-purpose application.
• (c-5) The designated automatic voter registration agency shall clearly and conspicuously inform each applicant in writing:
  • (i) of the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois,
  • (ii) of the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application,
  • (iii) that, unless the applicant declines to register to vote or update his or her voter registration, his or her application shall also serve as both an application to register to vote and his or her attestation that he or she meets the eligibility requirements for voter registration, and that his or her application to register to vote or update his or her registration will be transmitted to the State Board of Elections for the purpose of registering the person to vote at the residence address to be indicated on the dual-purpose application,
  • (iv) that information identifying the agency at which he or she applied to register to vote is confidential,
  • (v) that declining to register to vote is confidential and will not affect any services the person may be seeking from the agency, and
  • (vi) any additional information needed in order to comply with Section 7 of the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
• (d) The designated automatic voter registration agency shall review information provided to the agency by the State Board of Elections to inform each applicant whether the applicant is currently registered to vote in Illinois and, if registered, at what address.
• (e) The designated automatic voter registration agency shall not require an applicant for a dual-purpose application to provide duplicate identification or information in order to complete an application to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address or name. Before transmitting any personal information about an applicant to the State Board of Elections, the agency shall review its records of the identification documents the applicant provided or that the agency cross-references in order to complete the dual-purpose application, to confirm that nothing in those documents indicates that the applicant does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. A completed and signed dual-purpose application, including a completed application under subsection (c) of this Section with a separate signature attesting that the applicant meets the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her application, shall constitute an application to register to vote in Illinois at the residence address indicated in the application unless the person affirmatively declined in the application to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or name. If the identification documents provided to complete the dual-purpose application, or that the agency cross-references, indicate that he or she does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address, the application shall be marked as incomplete.
• (f) For each completed and signed dual-purpose application that constitutes an application to register to vote in Illinois or provides for a change in the applicant's registered residence address or name, the designated automatic voter registration agency shall electronically transmit to the State Board of Elections personal information needed to complete the person's registration to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. The application to register to vote shall be processed in accordance with Section 1A-16.7.
• (g) As used in this Section:

  "Designated automatic voter registration agency" or "agency"

  means the divisions of Family and Community Services and Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Department of Natural Resources, or an agency of the State or federal government that has been determined by the State Board of Elections to have access to reliable personal information and has entered into an interagency contract with the State Board of Elections to participate in the automatic voter registration program under this Section.

  "Dual-purpose application"

  means an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for a license, permit, program, or service offered by a designated automatic voter registration agency that also serves as an application to register to vote in Illinois.

  "Reliable personal information"

  means information about individuals obtained from government sources that may be used to verify whether an individual is eligible to register to vote.

• (h) This Section shall be implemented no later than July 1, 2019.

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.5 — On–Line Registration

• (a) The State Board of Elections shall establish and maintain a system for online voter registration that permits a person to apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration. In accordance with technical specifications provided by the State Board of Elections, each election authority shall maintain a voter registration system capable of receiving and processing voter registration application information, including electronic signatures, from the online voter registration system established by the State Board of Elections.
• (b) The online voter registration system shall employ security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of voter registration applications submitted electronically pursuant to this Section.
• (c) The Board may receive voter registration information provided by applicants using the State Board of Elections' website, may cross reference that information with data or information contained in the Secretary of State's database in order to match the information submitted by applicants, and may receive from the Secretary of State the applicant's digitized signature upon a successful match of that applicant's information with that contained in the Secretary of State's database.
• (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who is qualified to register to vote and who has an authentic Illinois driver's license or State identification card issued by the Secretary of State may submit an application to register to vote electronically on a website maintained by the State Board of Elections.
• (e) An online voter registration application shall contain all of the information that is required for a paper application as provided in Section 1A-16 of this Code, except that the applicant shall be required to provide:
  • (1) the applicant's full Illinois driver's license or State identification card number;
  • (2) the last 4 digits of the applicant's social security number; and
  • (3) the date the Illinois driver's license or State identification card was issued.
• (f) For an applicant's registration or change in registration to be accepted, the applicant shall mark the box associated with the following statement included as part of the online voter registration application:

  "By clicking on the box below, I swear or affirm all of the following:

  • (1) I am the person whose name and identifying information is provided on this form, and I desire to register to vote in the State of Illinois.
  • (2) All the information I have provided on this form is true and correct as of the date I am submitting this form.
  • (3) I authorize the Secretary of State to transmit to the State Board of Elections my signature that is on file with the Secretary of State and understand that such signature will be used by my local election authority on this online voter registration application for admission as an elector as if I had signed this form personally.".
• (g) Immediately upon receiving a completed online voter registration application, the online voter registration system shall send, by electronic mail, a confirmation notice that the application has been received. Within 48 hours of receiving such an application, the online voter registration system shall send by electronic mail, a notice informing the applicant of whether the following information has been matched with the Secretary of State database:
  • (1) that the applicant has an authentic Illinois driver's license or State identification card issued by the Secretary of State and that the driver's license or State identification number provided by the applicant matches the driver's license or State identification card number for that person on file with the Secretary of State;
  • (2) that the date of issuance of the Illinois driver's license or State identification card listed on the application matches the date of issuance of that card for that person on file with the Secretary of State;
  • (3) that the date of birth provided by the applicant matches the date of birth for that person on file with the Secretary of State; and
  • (4) that the last 4 digits of the applicant's social security number matches the last 4 digits for that person on file with the Secretary of State.
• (h) If the information provided by the applicant matches the information on the Secretary of State's databases for any driver's license and State identification card holder and is matched as provided in subsection (g) above, the online voter registration system shall:
  • (1) retrieve from the Secretary of State's database files an electronic copy of the applicant's signature from his or her Illinois driver's license or State identification card and such signature shall be deemed to be the applicant's signature on his or her online voter registration application;
  • (2) within 2 days of receiving the application, forward to the county clerk or board of election commissioners having jurisdiction over the applicant's voter registration: (i) the application, along with the applicant's relevant data that can be directly loaded into the jurisdiction's voter registration system and (ii) a copy of the applicant's electronic signature and a certification from the State Board of Elections that the applicant's driver's license or State identification card number, driver's license or State identification card date of issuance, and date of birth and social security information have been successfully matched.
    • (i) Upon receipt of the online voter registration application, the county clerk or board of election commissioners having jurisdiction over the applicant's voter registration shall promptly search its voter registration database to determine whether the applicant is already registered to vote at the address on the application and whether the new registration would create a duplicate registration. If the applicant is already registered to vote at the address on the application, the clerk or board, as the case may be, shall send the applicant by first class mail, and electronic mail if the applicant has provided an electronic mail address on the original voter registration form for that address, a disposition notice as otherwise required by law informing the applicant that he or she is already registered to vote at such address. If the applicant is not already registered to vote at the address on the application and the applicant is otherwise eligible to register to vote, the clerk or board, as the case may be, shall:
    • (1) enter the name and address of the applicant on the list of registered voters in the jurisdiction; and
    • (2) send by mail, and electronic mail if the applicant has provided an electronic mail address on the voter registration form, a disposition notice to the applicant as otherwise provided by law setting forth the applicant's name and address as it appears on the application and stating that the person is registered to vote.
• (j) An electronic signature of the person submitting a duplicate registration application or a change of address form that is retrieved and imported from the Secretary of State's driver's license or State identification card database as provided herein may, in the discretion of the clerk or board, be substituted for and replace any existing signature for that individual in the voter registration database of the county clerk or board of election commissioners.
• (k) Any new registration or change of address submitted electronically as provided in this Section shall become effective as of the date it is received by the county clerk or board of election commissioners having jurisdiction over said registration. Disposition notices prescribed in this Section shall be sent within 5 business days of receipt of the online application or change of address by the county clerk or board of election commissioners.
• (l) All provisions of this Code governing voter registration and applicable thereto and not inconsistent with this Section shall apply to online voter registration under this Section. All applications submitted on a website maintained by the State Board of Elections shall be deemed timely filed if they are submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on the 16th day prior to an election. After the registration period for an upcoming election has ended and until the 2nd day following such election, the web page containing the online voter registration form on the State Board of Elections website shall inform users of the procedure for grace period voting.
• (m) The State Board of Elections shall maintain a list of the name, street address, e-mail address, and likely precinct, ward, township, and district numbers, as the case may be, of people who apply to vote online through the voter registration system and those names and that information shall be stored in an electronic format on its website, arranged by county and accessible to State and local political committees.
• (n) The Illinois State Board of Elections shall develop or cause to be developed an online voter registration system able to be accessed by at least the top two most used mobile electronic operating systems by January 1, 2016.
• (o) (Blank).
• (p) Each State department that maintains an Internet website must include a hypertext link to the homepage website maintained and operated pursuant to this Section 1A-16.5. For the purposes of this Section, "State department" means the departments of State Government listed in Section 5-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois (General Provisions and Departments of State Government).

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.6 — Government Agency Voter Registration

• (a)

  By April 1, 2016, the State Board of Elections shall establish and maintain a portal for government agency registration that permits an eligible person to electronically apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration whenever he or she conducts business, either online or in person, with a designated government agency. The portal shall interface with the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code and shall be capable of receiving and processing voter registration application information, including electronic signatures, from a designated government agency. The State Board of Elections shall modify the online voter registration system as necessary to implement this Section.

  Voter registration data received from a designated government agency through the online registration system shall be processed as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.

  Whenever the registration interface is accessible to the general public, including, but not limited to, online transactions, the interface shall allow the applicant to complete the process as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. The online interface shall be capable of providing the applicant with the applicant's voter registration status with the State Board of Elections and, if registered, the applicant's current registration address. The applicant shall not be required to re-enter any registration data, such as name, address, and birth date, if the designated government agency already has that information on file. The applicant shall be informed that by choosing to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the applicant consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal information to the State Board of Elections.

  Whenever a government employee is accessing the registration system while servicing the applicant, the government employee shall notify the applicant of the applicant's registration status with the State Board of Elections and, if registered, the applicant's current registration address. If the applicant elects to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the government employee shall collect the needed information and assist the applicant with his or her registration. The applicant shall be informed that by choosing to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the applicant consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal information to the State Board of Elections.

  In accordance with technical specifications provided by the State Board of Elections, each designated government agency shall maintain a data transfer mechanism capable of transmitting voter registration application information, including electronic signatures where available, to the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Each designated government agency shall establish and operate a voter registration system capable of transmitting voter registration application information to the portal as described in this Section by July 1, 2016.

• (b) Whenever an applicant's data is transferred from a designated government agency, the agency must transmit a signature image if available. If no signature image was provided by the agency or if no signature image is available in the Secretary of State's database or the statewide voter registration database, the applicant must be notified that their registration will remain in a pending status and the applicant will be required to provide identification and a signature to the election authority on Election Day in the polling place or during early voting.
• (c) The State Board of Elections shall track registration data received through the online registration system that originated from a designated government agency for the purposes of maintaining statistics required by the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as amended.
• (d) The State Board of Elections shall submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor by December 1, 2015 detailing the progress made to implement the government agency voter registration portal described in this Section.
• (e) The Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the impacted agencies.
• (f) As used in this Section, a "designated government agency" means the Secretary of State's Driver Services and Vehicle Services Departments, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Employment Security, and the Department on Aging; however, if the designated government agency becomes a designated automatic voter registration agency under Section 1A-16.1 or Section 1A-16.2 of this Code, that agency shall cease to be a designated government agency under this Section.

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.7 — Automatic Voter Registration

• (a) The State Board of Elections shall establish and maintain a portal for automatic government agency voter registration that permits an eligible person to electronically apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration as provided in Section 1A-16.1 or Section 1A-16.2. The portal shall interface with the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code and shall be capable of receiving and processing voter registration application information, including electronic signatures, from the Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency, as defined in Section 1A-16.2. The State Board of Elections may cross-reference voter registration information from any designated automatic voter registration agency, as defined under Section 1A-16.2 of this Code, with information contained in the database of the Secretary of State as provided under subsection (c) of Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. The State Board of Elections shall modify the online voter registration system as necessary to implement this Section.
• (b) Voter registration data received from the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency through the online registration application system shall be processed as provided in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.
• (c) The State Board of Elections shall establish technical specifications applicable to each automatic government registration program, including data format and transmission specifications. The Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall maintain a data transfer mechanism capable of transmitting voter registration application information, including electronic signatures where available, to the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.
• (d) The State Board of Elections shall, by rule, establish criteria and procedures for determining whether an agency of the State or federal government seeking to become a designated automatic voter registration agency has access to reliable personal information, as defined under this subsection (d) and subsection (f) of Section 1A-16.2 of this Code, and otherwise meets the requirements to enter into an interagency contract and to operate as a designated automatic voter registration agency. The State Board of Elections shall approve each interagency contract upon affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
  As used in this subsection (d), "reliable personal information" means information about individuals obtained from government sources that may be used to verify whether an individual is eligible to register to vote.
• (e) Whenever an applicant's data is transferred from the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency, the agency must transmit a signature image if available. If no signature image was provided by the agency, or if no signature image is available in the Office of the Secretary of State's database or the statewide voter registration database, the applicant must be notified that his or her registration will remain in a pending status, and the applicant will be required to provide identification that complies with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 and a signature to the election authority on election day in the polling place or during early voting.
• (f) Upon receipt of personal information collected and transferred by the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency, the State Board of Elections shall check the information against the statewide voter registration database. The State Board of Elections shall create and electronically transmit to the appropriate election authority a voter registration application for any individual who is not registered to vote in Illinois and is not disqualified as provided in this Section or whose information reliably indicates a more recent update to the name or address of a person already included in the statewide voter database. The election authority shall process the application accordingly.
• (g) The appropriate election authority shall ensure that any applicant who is registered to vote or whose existing voter registration is updated under this Section is promptly sent written notice of the change. The notice required by this subsection (g) may be sent or combined with other notices required or permitted by law, including, but not limited to, any notices sent pursuant to Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Any notice required by this subsection (g) shall contain, at a minimum:
  • (i) the applicant's name and residential address as reflected on the voter registration list;
  • (ii) a statement notifying the applicant to contact the appropriate election authority if his or her voter registration has been updated in error;
  • (iii) the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois;
  • (iv) a statement notifying the applicant that he or she may opt out of voter registration or request a change to his or her registration information at any time by contacting an election official; and
  • (v) contact information for the appropriate election authority, including a phone number, address, electronic mail address, and website address.
• (h) The appropriate election authority shall ensure that any applicant whose voter registration application is not accepted or deemed incomplete is promptly sent written notice of the application's status. The notice required by this subsection may be sent or combined with other notices required or permitted by law, including, but not limited to, any notices sent pursuant to Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Any notice required by this subsection (h) shall contain, at a minimum, the reason the application was not accepted or deemed incomplete and contact information for the appropriate election authority, including a phone number, address, electronic mail address, and website address.
• (i) If the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency transfers information, or if the State Board of Elections creates and transmits a voter registration application, for a person who does not qualify as an eligible voter, then it shall not constitute a completed voter registration form, and the person shall not be considered to have registered to vote.
• (j) If the registration is processed by any election authority, then it shall be presumed to have been effected and officially authorized by the State, and that person shall not be found on that basis to have made a false claim to citizenship or to have committed an act of moral turpitude, nor shall that person be subject to penalty under any relevant laws, including, but not limited to, Sections 29-10 and 29-19 of this Code. This subsection (j) does not apply to a person who knows that he or she is not entitled to register to vote and who willfully votes, registers to vote, or attests under penalty of perjury that he or she is eligible to register to vote or willfully attempts to vote or to register to vote.
• (k) The State Board of Elections, the Office of the Secretary of State, and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall implement policies and procedures to protect the privacy and security of voter information as it is acquired, stored, and transmitted among agencies, including policies for the retention and preservation of voter information. Information designated as confidential under this Section may be recorded and shared among the State Board of Elections, election authorities, the Office of the Secretary of State, and designated automatic voter registration agencies, but shall be used only for voter registration purposes, shall not be disclosed to the public except in the aggregate as required by subsection (m) of this Section, and shall not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

  The following information shall be designated as confidential:

  • (1) any portion of an applicant's Social Security number;
  • (2) any portion of an applicant's driver's license number or State identification number;
  • (3) an applicant's decision to decline voter registration;
  • (4) the identity of the person providing information relating to a specific applicant; and
  • (5) the personal residence and contact information of any applicant for whom notice has been given by an appropriate legal authority.
  This subsection (k) shall not apply to information the State Board of Elections is required to share with the Electronic Registration Information Center.
• (l) The voter registration procedures implemented under this Section shall comport with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as amended, and shall specifically require that the State Board of Elections track registration data received through the online registration system that originated from a designated automatic voter registration agency for the purposes of maintaining statistics.
  Nothing in this Code shall require designated voter registration agencies to transmit information that is confidential client information under State or federal law without the consent of the applicant.
• (m) The State Board of Elections, each election authority that maintains a website, the Office of the Secretary of State, and each designated automatic voter registration agency that maintains a website shall provide information on their websites informing the public about the new registration procedures described in this Section. The Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall display signage or provide literature for the public containing information about the new registration procedures described in this Section.
• (n) No later than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the State Board of Elections shall hold at least one public hearing on implementing this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly at which the public may provide input.
• (o) The State Board of Elections shall submit an annual public report to the General Assembly and the Governor detailing the progress made to implement this Section. The report shall include all of the following: the number of records transferred under this Section by agency, the number of voters newly added to the statewide voter registration list because of records transferred under this Section by agency, the number of updated registrations under this Section by agency, the number of persons who opted out of voter registration, and the number of voters who submitted voter registration forms using the online procedure described in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. The 2018 and 2019 annual reports may include less detail if election authorities are not equipped to provide complete information to the State Board of Elections. Any report produced under this subsection (o) shall exclude any information that identifies any individual personally.
• (p) The State Board of Elections, in consultation with election authorities, the Office of the Secretary of State, designated automatic voter registration agencies, and community organizations, shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.8 — Automatic Transfer of Registration

Automatic transfer of registration based upon information from the National Change of Address database and designated automatic voter registration agencies.

• (a) The State Board of Elections shall cross-reference the statewide voter registration database against the United States Postal Service's National Change of Address database twice each calendar year, April 15 and October 1 in odd-numbered years and April 15 and December 1 in even-numbered years or with the same frequency as in subsection (b) of this Section, and shall share the findings with the election authorities.
• (b) In addition, beginning no later than September 1, 2017, the State Board of Elections shall utilize data provided as part of its membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center in order to cross-reference the statewide voter registration database against databases of relevant personal information kept by designated automatic voter registration agencies, including, but not limited to, driver's license information kept by the Secretary of State, at least 6 times each calendar year and shall share the findings with election authorities.
  This subsection (b) shall no longer apply once Sections 1A-16.1 and 1A-16.2 of this Code are fully implemented as determined by the State Board of Elections. Upon a determination by the State Board of Elections of full implementation of Sections 1A-16.1 and 1A-16.2 of this Code, the State Board of Elections shall file notice of full implementation and the inapplicability of this subsection (b) with the Index Department of the Office of the Secretary of State, the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Legislative Reference Bureau.
• (b-5) The State Board of Elections shall not be required to share any data on any voter attained using the National Change of Address database under subsection (a) of this Section if that voter has a more recent government transaction indicated using the cross-reference under subsection (b) of this Section. If there is contradictory or unclear data between data obtained under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, then data obtained under subsection (b) of this Section shall take priority.
• (c) An election authority shall automatically register any voter who has moved into its jurisdiction from another jurisdiction in Illinois or has moved within its jurisdiction provided that:
  • (1) the election authority whose jurisdiction includes the new registration address provides the voter an opportunity to reject the change in registration address through a mailing, sent by non-forwardable mail, to the new registration address, and
  • (2) when the election authority whose jurisdiction includes the previous registration address is a different election authority, then that election authority provides the same opportunity through a mailing, sent by forwardable mail, to the previous registration address.

  This change in registration shall trigger the same inter-jurisdictional or intra-jurisdictional workflows as if the voter completed a new registration card, including the cancellation of the voter's previous registration. Should the registration of a voter be changed from one address to another within the State and should the voter appear at the polls and offer to vote from the prior registration address, attesting that the prior registration address is the true current address, the voter, if confirmed by the election authority as having been registered at the prior registration address and canceled only by the process authorized by this Section, shall be issued a regular ballot, and the change of registration address shall be canceled. If the election authority is unable to immediately confirm the registration, the voter shall be permitted to register and vote a regular ballot, provided that he or she meets the documentary requirements for same-day registration. If the election authority is unable to confirm the registration and the voter does not meet the requirements for same-day registration, the voter shall be issued a provisional ballot.

• (d) No voter shall be disqualified from voting due to an error relating to an update of registration under this Section.

10 ILCS 5/1A-16.9 — Implementation Date [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-17 — Voter Registration Outreach [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-18 — General Assembly & Staff As Registrars [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-19 — The Effect of the Extension On Terms of Pubic Office [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-20 — Help Illinois Fund [not included]

10 ILCS 5/25 — Centralized Statewide Voter Registration List

The centralized statewide voter registration list required by Title III, Subtitle A, Section 303 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 shall be created and maintained by the State Board of Elections as provided in this Section.

• (1) The centralized statewide voter registration list shall be compiled from the voter registration data bases of each election authority in this State.
• (2) With the exception of voter registration forms submitted electronically through an online voter registration system, all new voter registration forms and applications to register to vote, including those reviewed by the Secretary of State at a driver services facility, shall be transmitted only to the appropriate election authority as required by 4. this link opens in a new browser tab., 5. this link opens in a new browser tab., and 6. this link opens in a new browser tab. of this Code and not to the State Board of Elections. All voter registration forms submitted electronically to the State Board of Elections through an online voter registration system shall be transmitted to the appropriate election authority as required by Section 1A-16.5. The election authority shall process and verify each voter registration form and electronically enter verified registrations on an expedited basis onto the statewide voter registration list. All original registration cards shall remain permanently in the office of the election authority as required by this Code.
• (3) The centralized statewide voter registration list shall:
  • (i) Be designed to allow election authorities to utilize the registration data on the statewide voter registration list pertinent to voters registered in their election jurisdiction on locally maintained software programs that are unique to each jurisdiction.
  • (ii) Allow each election authority to perform essential election management functions, including but not limited to production of voter lists, processing of vote by mail voters, production of individual, pre-printed applications to vote, administration of election judges, and polling place administration, but shall not prevent any election authority from using information from that election authority's own systems.
• (4) The registration information maintained by each election authority shall be synchronized with that authority's information on the statewide list at least once every 24 hours.

To protect the privacy and confidentiality of voter registration information, the disclosure of any portion of the centralized statewide voter registration list to any person or entity other than to a State or local political committee and other than to a governmental entity for a governmental purpose is specifically prohibited except as follows:

• (1) subject to security measures adopted by the State Board of Elections which, at a minimum, shall include the keeping of a catalog or database, available for public view, including the name, address, and telephone number of the person viewing the list as well as the time of that viewing, any person may view the list on a computer screen at the Springfield office of the State Board of Elections, during normal business hours other than during the 27 days before an election, but the person viewing the list under this exception may not print, duplicate, transmit, or alter the list; or
• (2) as may be required by an agreement the State Board of Elections has entered into with a multi-state voter registration list maintenance system.

10 ILCS 5/1A-30 — (Repealed)

10 ILCS 5/1A-35 — Early and Grace Period Voting Education [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-40 — Repealed internally

10 ILCS 5/1A-45 — Electronic Registration Information Center [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-50 — The ERIC Operations Trust Fund [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-55 — Cyber Security Efforts [not included]

10 ILCS 5/1A-60 — High School Voter Registration

• (a) The State Board of Elections shall prepare a one page document explaining the process to register to vote to be disseminated to high school age students. Every high school must provide students with that document, which may be disseminated electronically.
• (b) No high school may prohibit nonpartisan voter registration activities on its premises. A high school may adopt reasonable regulations restricting nonpartisan voter registration activities.

10 ILCS 5/1A-65 — Election Authority Guidance

Election authority guidance. 90 days before any election, the State Board of Elections shall provide written guidance to election authorities on:

• (1) ballot tracking procedures and the proper terminology to be used as part of those procedures; and
• (2) summarizing requirements for voting, curbside voting, early voting, and vote by mail.