Bill > SB582

Introduced Session

Current law allows a voter who is indefinitely confined because of age, physical illness, infirmity, or disability to have, by signing a statement to that effect, an absentee ballot automatically sent to the voter for every election. The voter is not required to submit a copy of his or her voter identification with the request to automatically receive absentee ballots. Current law requires the voter to notify the municipal clerk when the voter is no longer indefinitely confined. Also, under current law, if a voter fails to vote an absentee ballot the voter receives as a result of his or her indefinitely confined status, the voter must renew his or her application for indefinitely confined status within 30 days or be removed from the indefinitely confined status list. Finally, the municipal clerk must remove a voter from the indefinitely confined status list upon the voter's request or upon receipt of reliable information that the voter no longer qualifies as indefinitely confined. This bill does all of the following: 1. Provides that indefinitely confined status may be claimed by a voter who is indefinitely confined and cannot travel independently without significant burden LRB-4739/1 MPG:emw 2023 - 2024 Legislature SENATE BILL 582 because of frailty, physical illness, or a disability that is expected to last longer than one year. 2. Provides that a voter seeking indefinitely confined status must apply for that status on an application prescribed by the Elections Commission. Under the bill, the application form prescribed by the commission must be separate and distinct from any other absentee ballot application prescribed by the commission. 3. Subject to certain exceptions provided in the bill, requires that an applicant for indefinitely confined status submit proof of identification with his or her application and requires that the municipal clerk affirm in writing on the application form prescribed by the commission that the applicant provided proof of identification with his or her application or provided certain information and documentation required under the bill if the applicant did not provide proof of identification. 4. Specifies that the existence of an outbreak or epidemic of a communicable disease in a voter's community does not qualify the voter as indefinitely confined. 5. Specifies that the penalty for making a false statement for the purpose of qualifying as indefinitely confined is a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both. 6. Provides that a voter who fails to vote a ballot the voter requests as a result of his or her indefinitely confined status may be removed from the indefinitely confined status list only if he or she fails to vote the ballot at the spring or general election. 7. Requires that the municipal clerk remove a voter from the indefinitely confined status list if the voter casts an absentee ballot in person at the municipal clerk's office or votes at the polls in any election. 8. Requires the Elections Commission to facilitate the removal of the indefinitely confined status of each voter who received that status between March 12, 2020, and November 3, 2020. A voter whose indefinitely confined status is so removed must submit a new application for indefinitely confined status in order to continue automatically receiving absentee ballots. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Joan Ballweg (R)*,  Dan Knodl (R)*,  Howard Marklein (R)*,  David Armstrong (R),  Barbara Dittrich (R),  Cindi Duchow (R),  James Edming (R),  Joy Goeben (R),  Joel Kitchens (R),  Gae Magnafici (R),  Dave Maxey (R),  Dave Murphy (R),  Amanda Nedweski (R),  Jerry O'Connor (R),  Nik Rettinger (R), 

Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 (on 04/15/2024)

Official Document