The bill defines the process for implementing early voting provisions. Municipalities can elect to provide their own early voting center(s), combine with other municipalities within the same county to offer a multi-jurisdictional early voting center or enter into an agreement with the county clerk to coordinate a county-run early voting center.
The bill requires that under any option, each municipal clerk must file an early voting plan with the county clerk not later than 120 days before the first state or federal election in even-numbered years. Municipalities entering into a multi-jurisdictional or county agreement would only need to submit one early voting plan for those participating municipalities. At a minimum, each agreement shall cover all the state and federal elections held in an even-numbered year and participating clerks would not be able to withdraw from an agreement until after the canvass of the last state or federal election in that calendar year.
Feel free to call and ask your township or county clerk to find out how poorly implemented this law has been and what a nightmare it’s been for clerks. And given that the State has still not reimbursed townships and counties for costs incurred from previous election laws passed (2020 or 2022), expect it to eat further into the limited resources of local governments.
Nesbitt voted no.
Wendzel voted no.
Bill passed and signed by governor.
Signed into law July 18, 2023: PA 81 of 2023