Illinois Compiled Statutes
Chapter 105 - SCHOOLS
105 ILCS 50/ - Voting by Minors Act.

(105 ILCS 50/1)
Sec. 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the Voting by Minors Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/5)
Sec. 5.
Development of program.
(a) The State Board of Elections and the State Board of Education shall
develop a pilot program under which elementary and secondary school students in
kindergarten through grade 12 in participating school districts and counties
may participate in a simulated election held on the date of the general
election in 2004.
(b) The program shall be designed for implementation only in those counties
in which the election authority elects to participate in the program. Each
school district located in those counties may elect to participate in the
program.
(c) In each county and school district electing to participate in the
program, the program shall be implemented in accordance with standards jointly
developed for that purpose by the State Board of Elections and State Board of
Education.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/10)
Sec. 10.
Funding.
(a) Implementation of the program is contingent upon receipt of the
necessary funding from private sources.
(b) The program as developed by the State Board of Elections and State Board
of Education: (i) shall require the formation of a nonprofit, volunteer
administrative board in each participating county and a coordinating statewide
board that is also nonprofit and volunteer; (ii) shall
prescribe the manner in which those boards shall be formed; (iii) shall
prescribe the responsibilities of those
boards, including securing the necessary private
funding and volunteer
assistance required to implement the program; and (iv) shall prescribe measures
designed to assure fiscal integrity in the use of donated funds and equitable
distribution of those funds for program purposes in the participating counties
and school districts.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/15)
Sec. 15.
Volunteer assistance.
State funds shall not be used for
implementation of the program. The program shall be conducted and operated
with volunteer assistance and private funds. The State Board of Elections and
State Board of Education, however, shall develop the program as required by
this Act and may make their personnel available on a reasonable basis for
consulting purposes.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/20)
Sec. 20.
Educational curriculum.
A component of the program as developed
by the State Board of Education and State Board of Elections shall include a
reasonable amount of classroom instruction, as part of existing courses offered
by a participating school district, concerning voting history and laws, voting
procedures, election campaigns, media influence, and the importance of voter
participation. The suggested curriculum shall be developed by the State Board
of Education and State Board of Elections by January 1, 2004 and shall be made
available to school districts that may later elect to participate in the
program. The suggested curriculum shall be based upon 6 to 12 hours of
classroom instruction and shall include homework assignments that necessitate
dialogue between children and their parents or guardians concerning the voting
process and specifically the candidates and propositions to be voted upon at
the general election.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/25)
Sec. 25.
Basic program requirements.
The program standards jointly
developed under subsection (c) of Section 5 shall require: (i) that children
register to vote in the simulated election; (ii) that on the day of the 2004
general election the children accompany their parents to the polls and vote on
separate ballots in voting booths adjacent to the adult booths; (iii) that the
children vote on the same races and propositions as the adult voters, except
that the number of races or propositions on which the younger children vote may
be reduced as necessary based on their grade level; (iv) that the ballots be
designed, using pictures and symbols as necessary, so that all children may
vote their choice even though they are unable to read; (v) that simulated
election judges participate at the polls as part of the simulated election;
(vi) that the results of the simulated election be tabulated beginning after
the closing of the polls and the results announced on the following day; and
(vii) other standards that the State Board of Elections and State Board of
Education determine will contribute to the voting experience of the children.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/30)
Sec. 30.
Report.
The State Board of Elections and State Board of
Education shall develop the voting by minors pilot program and distribute
it to all county election authorities and school districts in January of
2004. In addition, before January 1, 2004, the State
Board of Elections and State Board of Education shall jointly file with the
Governor and the General Assembly a copy of the program together with a written
report recommending any additional legislation necessary before actual
implementation of the program at the 2004 general election.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/35)
Sec. 35.
Timetable.
The State Board of Elections and State Board of
Education shall adopt rules under which (i) counties and school
districts that chose to participate in the voting by minors program are
determined beginning no later than March 1, 2004, (ii) the county and statewide
boards described in subsection (b) of Section 10 are established no later than
July 1, 2004, and (iii) the availability of sufficient private funding is
determined by August 1, 2004, along with those counties and school districts
that will be actual program participants.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)
 
(105 ILCS 50/99)
Sec. 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 93-230, eff. 7-22-03.)

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