Subject Index Election Law

On Aug. 23, 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court dismissed an appeal of a case that found unconstitutional a law prohibiting parties from running for the General Assembly in the general election when no one in their party ran in the primary.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Election Code. The amendment establishes the Task Force to Review Eligibility to Hold Public Office, which will review the criminal conduct that currently precludes an individual from holding public office in Illinois and make recommendations regarding what conduct should preclude such ineligibility.

On Nov. 16, 2023, the Third District of the Illinois Appellate Court held there is no requirement for verification affidavits to be attached to a verified election contest petition or filed within the 30-day filing period under the Election Code.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Election Code, adding procedural requirements for certain vacant elected county offices.

On Aug. 2, 2022, the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that a candidate for Cook County sheriff was ineligible to run for office due to an invalid statement of candidacy and nomination papers.

On June 24, 2022, the Second District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that where a county elects board members by district, candidates must reside in the district for which they are seeking office when they file nomination papers.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Election Code. The Illinois State Board of Elections must provide accessible, certified remote voting to voters with print disabilities for the Nov. 8, 2022, general election and all subsequent elections.

On Mar. 24, 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court’s judgment and Illinois State Board of Election’s dismissal of an alderman’s complaint that his predecessor unlawfully paid personal legal fees from campaign funds.

The Illinois General Assembly enacted the Illinois Congressional Redistricting Act of 2021. It repeals the Congressional Reapportionment Act of 2001 to detail newly drawn districts for Illinois’ 17 congressional districts and lists the relevant voting precincts and blocks for each county respectively.

The Election Code is amended to create a task force to review current laws and make recommendations to improve access to voting for persons with disabilities.

On Aug. 26, 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed a First District Illinois Appellate Court decision holding the defendant was not qualified to run in a mayoral race after a federal mail fraud conviction.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Illinois Election Code by changing and adding numerous sections in preparation for the 2022 election cycle.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Election Code to provide for the allocation of funds toward maintaining security in the receipt of vote-by mail-ballots and delineating procedures for curbside voting.

On April 27, 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court held that the statutorily required number of signatures in section 10-3 of the Election Code must be strictly followed.

Public Act 101-0642 amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to include emergency provisions for the 2020 General Election in November.

Public Act 101-0641 is a contingent amendment to the Election Code. The amendment only comes into effect if Senate Bill 1863 of the 101st General Assembly becomes law in the form in which it passed the Illinois House of Representatives.

The State Board of Elections has adopted a new rule designed to more efficiently track loans made to candidates by political committees and to increase the transparency of financial-disclosure reporting by campaigns.

The Election Code is amended to require election authorities in counties with populations under three million to collaborate with the primary county jail to facilitate voting.

Election restrictions placed on those in healthcare facilities have been modified to be less onerous on those patients in long-term care.

Pursuant to the Election Code's statutorily mandated increases for inflation, the State Board of Elections adopted amendments to Campaign Financing (26 Ill. Adm. Code 100 (effective June 19, 2018)) establishing new limits for political contributions.

The Board passed amendments to allow certification of last-minute candidate petitions for ballot placement. 26 Ill. Adm. Code 201 (eff. Jan. 25, 2016).

The Election Code has been amended to require election authority websites to post information regarding uncounted ballots.

If a special election is required for the office of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, or Treasurer, the following procedures for making nominations and filling the vacancy must be followed.

Election authorities must now conduct early public voting on campuses of public universities in "high traffic" locations in addition to conducting early voting at other locations required by law. 10 ILCS 5/1-12.

The Election Code has been amended to clarify the legal voting age. 10 ILCS 5/3-6.

Only for 2013, election authorities are being permitted to close early voting places on Good Sunday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, provided that these voting places remain open an additional two hours on the days of April 3, 4, and 5 of 2013. (10 ILCS/f/19A-15).

Illinois lawmakers have amended the Election Code to prohibit political candidates from switching parties during an election cycle (10 ILCS 5/7-43).

On March 10, 2011, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, reversed a decision of the Circuit Court of Cook County, finding no violation of the Election Code when a candidate files partisan nominating papers and a non-partisan statement of candidacy.