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Legislation Calls for New Primary Election Absentee Ballots for Service Members Abroad

Springfield, IL - State Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Gifford) brought forward new legislation Wednesday in front of the Local Government Committee. Senate Bill 439 would permit municipalities to require local election authorities to offer a special consolidated absentee ballot for primary election voters who are in the U.S. military or are outside of the country the day of the election. The bill passed committee and will head to the floor in front of the full Senate.

The current matter is that servicemen and women stationed overseas do not have time to receive, cast and return an absentee ballot between the municipal elections at the end of February and first week of April.

"All qualified voters that want to participate in local municipal primary elections should have the ability to vote regardless of where they are," said Sen. Frerichs. "This is especially true for the citizens of Illinois serving our country as members of the armed forces."

To solve this issue, Frerichs' bill would allow for a ranked ballot for the April election to be sent to the voter at the same time as the February ballot. All of the candidates up for contested municipal offices on the February ballot would also appear on the April ballot, since it would be unknown at the time which of them will remain on the April ballot. From this list, the qualified voters would numerically rank the candidates and send the ranked ballot back along with the regular February ballot. The ballots would be received well in time for the April vote. The candidate with the highest ranking that makes it onto the April ballot will then get the vote.

"A ranked ballot system could solve the time constraint issue that is keeping our overseas servicemen and women from getting and returning their ballots on time," added Frerichs. "This is an innovative solution that allows all voices to be heard in the local voting process."

The ranked ballot for overseas voters has been used in Louisiana for more than a decade where runoff elections are common. Arkansas and South Carolina also recently implemented a ranked ballot system.

The proposal now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

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