Springfield, IL – State Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Gifford) successfully passed new legislation on the Senate floor Thursday regarding primary election absentee ballots. 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 unanimously passed 56-0.

The current issue faced by servicemen and women stationed overseas is that they 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."

Frerichs' bill would allow for a ranked ballot for the April elections 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 in April. 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 regardless of their location."

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 House of Representatives will now consider the legislation for passage.