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ORDINANCE ENACTING RANKED BALLOTS IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FOR OVERSEAS VOTERS
Whereas overseas voters and military voters enjoy the full voting rights of American citizens and have the right to vote in all elections for federal, state, county, and municipal offices; and
Whereas, in odd-numbered years, the time between consolidated primary election and the consolidated election makes it impossible for election authorities to receive ballots from the consolidated primary, tally the vote, print ballot for the subsequent consolidated election, mail those ballots, and receive those ballots by the deadline from many overseas absentee voters and military absentee voters, thereby disenfranchising overseas absentee voters; and
Whereas such compressed timeframe, without an allowance for overseas and military absentee voters, effectively disenfranchises those voters from participating in municipal elections; and
Whereas the Illinois General Assembly provided for a procedure to eliminate this disenfranchisement in 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01(c); and
Whereas 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01(c) allows for municipal election authorities to utilize a ranked ballot for overseas and military absentee voters to prevent disenfranchisement, should such election authority have the ability and the municipality approve the use of a ranked ballot for such voters; and
Whereas ranked ballots allow voters to rank their selections for each office in order of preference, and the voter's vote goes to their next selected preference should their higher preference candidate be eliminated; and
Whereas ranked balloting folds smoothly with Chicago's municipal runoff election format;
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Chicago:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are expressly incorporated in and made a part of this ordinance as though fully set forth herein.
SECTION 2. Title 1 of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago is hereby amended by adding new Chapter 1-17.
Chapter 1-17
Overseas and Military Absentee Voting in Chicago Municipal Elections 1-17-010 Administrative Ability
Within 30 days of the adoption of this section The Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago, in compliance with 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01(c), shall submit a written statement to the City Clerk attesting to its administrative ability to administer ranked ballot voting for overseas and military absentee voters in consolidated primary elections.
1-17-020 Definitions
All terms used in this Chapter shall be defined as they are in 10 ILCS 5 et. al.
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1-17-030 Ranked Voting for Overseas Absentee Voters and Military Absentee Voters
Pursuant to 10 ILCS 5/16-5.01(c), and consistent with the rules promulgated by the Illinois State Board of Elections, the City of Chicago hereby enacts ranked ballots in consolidated primary elections for voters who are otherwise eligible to vote as an overseas absentee voter or military absentee voter.