SB 1954 — COUNTIES CD-RECALL OFFICIALS

*LRB10410305JDS20379b* SB1954 104THEngrossed GENERALLRB104 ASSEMBLY10305 StateJDS of20379 Illinoisb andAN 2026ACT SB1954concerning Introducedrecall 2/6/2025,of bycountywide Sen.elected officials.

Doris Turner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

ILCS 5/Div.

3-16 heading new ILCS 5/3-16001 new ILCS 5/3-16002 new ILCS 5/3-16003 new Amends the Counties Code.

Creates the Recall of Countywide Elected Officials Division within the Code.

Authorizes a county to establish a process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors of the county by referendum or petition.

Provides that, if a county board adopts a resolution calling for a referendum on the proposal to adopt a process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors of the county, then the county clerk and county board shall provide for the submission of the proposition to the electors of the county at the next general election held in an even-numbered year.

Provides that, if there is filed with the clerk of the circuit court of the county, within the time provided in the general election law, a petition that is signed by the specified number of registered voters in the county and that requests the establishment of a process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors of that county, the clerk of the circuit court shall transmit the petition to the chief judge of the circuit court who shall determine the sufficiency of the petition or shall assign the determination of the sufficiency of the petition to a circuit judge who shall make the determination.

Specifies that, if the judge determines that the petition is sufficient, the judge shall certify the sufficiency of the petition and shall issue an order directing the county clerk and the county board to provide for the submission of the proposition to the electors of the county at the next general election held in an even-numbered year.

Authorizes the recall of a countywide elected official to be proposed by petition by the electors of the county.

Sets forth requirements for the petition.

Provides that, if the petition is valid and sufficient, then the State Board of Elections shall certify the petition, and the question must be submitted to the electors at a special election.

Prohibits more than one recall petition per official per term of office.

Effective immediately.

LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b A BILL FOR SB1954 LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b AN ACT concerning recall of countywide elected officials.

Any(a) countySangamon County may establish a process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors of thatthe countycounty, by submissionsubmitting tothe andproposition approvalto by the electors of the county and obtaining their approval of the proposition at a referendum held at the general election of 2026 as provided in Section 3-16002.

A referendum to adopt a process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors may be called for by a resolution adopted bybefore the countygeneral boardelection of the2026 county or by the filingcounty board of aSangamon petitionCounty. as provided in Section 3-16002.

(b) As used in this Division, "countywide elected official" means a county officer who holds an elective office under Article 3 of this Code, but it does not include an SB1954 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b officer who is elected by electors outside of Sangamon County.

(a) If the county board of Sangamon County adopts a resolution calling for a referendum at the general election of 2026 on the proposal to adopt a process by which SB1954 - 2 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b countywide elected officials of Sangamon County may be recalled by the electors of thatSangamon county,County, within the time provided in the general election law, the county clerk and the county board of Sangamon County shall provide for the submission of suchthe proposition to the electors of theSangamon countyCounty in accordance with this Section at the next general election heldof in2026. an even-numbered year.

(b) IfThe therereferendum isshall filedbe withconducted the clerk of the circuit court of the county, within the time provided in thesuch general election law, a petitionmanner thatas is signedprescribed by the number of registered voters described in this subsection and that requests the establishmentgeneral ofelection alaw. process by which countywide elected officials may be recalled by the electors of that county, the clerk of the circuit court shall transmit the petition to the chief judge of the circuit court who shall determine the sufficiency of the petition or shall assign the determination of the sufficiency of the petition to a circuit judge who shall make the determination.

For a county with a population that is greater than or equal to 500,000, the petition under this subsection (b) shall be signed by 5% of the registered voters in the county or 10,000 individuals, whichever is less.

For a county with a population that is less than 500,000, the petition under this subsection (b) shall be signed by 5% of the registered voters in the county or 1,000 individuals, whichever is less.

If the judge determines that the petition is sufficient, the judge shall certify the sufficiency of the petition and shall issue an order directing SB1954 - 3 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b the county clerk and the county board to provide for the submission of the proposition to the electors of the county at the next general election held in an even-numbered year.

The referendum shall be conducted in such a manner as is prescribed in the general election law.

------------------------------------------------------------ Shall theSangamon County adopt a process by which countywide elected YES officials may be recalled ---------------------------------- by the electors of ..........the county NO as provided for by Section 3-16003 of the Counties Code? ------------------------------------------------------------ SB1954 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b (55 ILCS 5/3-16003 new) Sec.

adopt a process YES by which countywide elected -------------------------------- officials may be recalled by NO the electors of the county as provided for by Illinois statute? ------------------------------------------------------------ (55 ILCS 5/3-16003 new) Sec.

(a) TheIf recallthe referendum described in Section 3-16002 is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the proposition, then the recall of countywide elected officialofficials of Sangamon County may thereafter be proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 15% of the total votes cast for Governor in thethat precedingcounty gubernatorial election in the county.preceding gubernatorial election.

A petition under this Section shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with the State Board of Elections providing notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall the countywide elected official.

The SB1954 - 4 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the countywide elected official's term of office and may not be filed in the last 6 months of athe term.countywide elected official's term of office.

If the petition is valid and sufficient, the State Board of Elections shall certify the petition not more than 10050 days after the date the petition was filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the office of (name of office)?" must be submitted to the electors of Sangamon County at a special election called by the State SB1954 Engrossed - 4 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b Board of Elections, to occur not more than 100 days after certification of the petition.

A recall petition certified by the State Board of Elections under this Section may not be withdrawn and another recall petition under this Section may not be initiated against the countywide elected official during the remainder of the official's current term of office.

(55 ILCS 5/3-16004 new) Sec.

3-16004.

Repealer.

This Division is repealed on January 1, 2027.

This Act takes effect upon SB1954 - 5 - LRB104 10305 JDS 20379 b becoming law.