SB1479 Summary

• Allows eligible residents at nursing homes and similar facilities (under Section 19-12.2) to register to vote and change their address during the grace period in connection with voting at those facilities.

• Grace period voting and registration available from close of registration through election day at election authority offices, permanent polling places, early voting sites (beginning 15 days before election), polling places on election day, and other designated locations.

• Grace period ballots cast at locations other than a voter's designated polling place must be transmitted to and counted at the election authority's central ballot counting location, not at precinct polling places.

• Election authority must electronically transmit grace period voter information (name, address, email, precinct/ward/township/district numbers) to the State Board of Elections within one day of ballot casting, to be maintained on the State Board's website and accessible to political committees.

• In counties with populations under 100,000 lacking electronic poll books, election authorities may opt out of on-site polling place registration if grace period registration and voting are established at the main office and municipalities representing 20% or more of county residents.