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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3511

Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/2A-1.1d new
10 ILCS 5/19-3

from Ch. 46, par. 19-3
10 ILCS 5/19-25 new
10 ILCS 5/19A-15
30 ILCS 500/15-45
105 ILCS 5/24-2
110 ILCS 70/45a

from Ch. 24 1/2, par. 38l.1

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the date of the general
election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in
even-numbered years shall be a State holiday known as General Election Day
and shall be observed throughout the State. Requires the State Board of
Elections, in conjunction with election authorities, to implement a
secure, free access system available to voters by January 1, 2026.
Provides that the system shall allow a voter to track receipt of the
voter's vote by mail ballot and check the ballot's status with the election
authority. Provides that an election authority shall allow any voter who
is in line to vote at the time an early voting polling place closes to cast
a ballot. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code,
School Code, and State Universities Civil Service Act making conforming
changes. Effective immediately.
LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b

A BILL FOR

SB3511
LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1

AN ACT concerning elections.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Election Code is amended by changing
5
Sections 19-3 and 19A-15 and by adding Sections 2A-1.1d and
6
19-25 as follows:

7

(10 ILCS 5/2A-1.1d new)
8

Sec. 2A-1.1d.
General Election Day State holiday.
9
Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
10
contrary, the date of the general election on the first
11
Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered
12
years shall be a State holiday known as General Election Day
13
and shall be observed throughout the State. General Election
14
Day is a legal school holiday for purposes of the School Code
15
and State Universities Civil Service Act. Any school closed
16
for General Election Day shall be made available to an
17
election authority as a polling place for General Election
18
Day.

19

(10 ILCS 5/19-3)

(from Ch. 46, par. 19-3)
20

Sec. 19-3.
Application for a vote by mail ballot.
21

(a) The application for a vote by mail ballot for a single
22
election shall be substantially in the following form:

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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
APPLICATION FOR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT
2

To be voted at the .... election in the County of .... and
3
State of Illinois.
4

I state that I am a resident of .... in the municipality of
5
.... in the county of ....; that I have resided at such address
6
for at least 30 days; that I am lawfully entitled to vote at
7
the .... election to be held on ....; and that I wish to vote
8
by mail.
9

I hereby make application for an official ballot or
10
ballots to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I
11
shall return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing
12
the same prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the
13
election or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than
14
election day, for counting no later than during the period for
15
counting provisional ballots, the last day of which is the
16
14th day following election day.
17

I understand that this application is made for an official
18
vote by mail ballot or ballots to be voted by me at the
19
election specified in this application and that I must submit
20
a separate application for an official vote by mail ballot or
21
ballots to be voted by me at any subsequent election.
22

Under penalties as provided by law pursuant to Section
23
29-10 of the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
24
statements set forth in this application are true and correct.
25
....
26
*fill in either (1), (2) or (3).

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1
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
2
...............
3

(a-5) The application for a single vote by mail ballot
4
transmitted electronically pursuant to Section 19-2.6 shall be
5
substantively similar to the application for a vote by mail
6
ballot for a single election and shall include:
7

I swear or affirm that I am a voter with a print
8

disability, and, as a result of this disability, I am
9

making a request to receive a vote by mail ballot
10

electronically so that I may privately and independently
11

mark, verify, and print my vote by mail ballot.
12

(b) The application for permanent vote by mail status
13
shall be substantially in the following form:
14
APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT VOTE BY MAIL STATUS
15

I am currently a registered voter and wish to apply for
16
permanent vote by mail status.
17

I state that I am a resident of .... in the municipality of
18
.... in the county of ....; that I have resided at such address
19
for at least 30 days; that I am lawfully entitled to vote at
20
the .... election to be held on ....; and that I wish to vote
21
by mail in:
22

..... all subsequent elections that do not require a party
23

designation.
24

..... all subsequent elections, and I wish to receive a
25

................... Party vote by mail ballot in
26

elections that require a party designation.

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I hereby make application for an official ballot or
2
ballots to be voted by me at such election, and I agree that I
3
shall return such ballot or ballots to the official issuing
4
the same prior to the closing of the polls on the date of the
5
election or, if returned by mail, postmarked no later than
6
election day, for counting no later than during the period for
7
counting provisional ballots, the last day of which is the
8
14th day following election day.
9

Under penalties as provided by law under Section 29-10 of
10
the Election Code, the undersigned certifies that the
11
statements set forth in this application are true and correct.
12
....
13
Post office address to which ballot is mailed:
14
...............
15

(b-5) The application for permanent vote by mail ballots
16
transmitted electronically pursuant to Section 19-2.6 shall be
17
substantively similar to the application for permanent vote by
18
mail status and shall include:
19

I swear or affirm that I am a voter with a
20

non-temporary print disability, and as a result of this
21

disability, I am making a request to receive vote by mail
22

ballots electronically so that I may privately and
23

independently mark, verify, and print my vote by mail
24

ballots.
25

(c) However, if application is made for a primary election
26
ballot, such application shall require the applicant to

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
designate the name of the political party with which the
2
applicant is affiliated. The election authority shall allow
3
any voter on permanent vote by mail status to change his or her
4
party affiliation for a primary election ballot by a method
5
and deadline published and selected by the election authority.
6

(d) If application is made electronically, the applicant
7
shall mark the box associated with the above described
8
statement included as part of the online application
9
certifying that the statements set forth in the application
10
under subsection (a) or (b) are true and correct, and a
11
signature is not required.
12

(e) Any person may produce, reproduce, distribute, or
13
return to an election authority an application under this
14
Section. If applications are sent to a post office box
15
controlled by any individual or organization that is not an
16
election authority, those applications shall (i) include a
17
valid and current phone number for the individual or
18
organization controlling the post office box and (ii) be
19
turned over to the appropriate election authority within 7
20
days of receipt or, if received within 2 weeks of the election
21
in which an applicant intends to vote, within 2 days of
22
receipt. Failure to turn over the applications in compliance
23
with this paragraph shall constitute a violation of this Code
24
and shall be punishable as a petty offense with a fine of $100
25
per application. Removing, tampering with, or otherwise
26
knowingly making the postmark on the application unreadable by

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
the election authority shall establish a rebuttable
2
presumption of a violation of this paragraph. Upon receipt,
3
the appropriate election authority shall accept and promptly
4
process any application under this Section submitted in a form
5
substantially similar to that required by this Section,
6
including any substantially similar production or reproduction
7
generated by the applicant.
8

(f) An election authority
shall

may
combine the
9
applications in subsections (a) and (b) onto one form, but the
10
distinction between the applications must be clear and the
11
form must provide check boxes for an applicant to indicate
12
whether he or she is applying for a single election vote by
13
mail ballot or for permanent vote by mail status.
14
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-819, eff. 5-13-22;
15
103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)

16

(10 ILCS 5/19-25 new)
17

Sec. 19-25.
Vote by mail tracking.
In conjunction with
18
election authorities, the State Board of Elections shall
19
implement by January 1, 2026 a secure, free access system
20
available to voters in each election authority that allows
21
each vote by mail voter to:
22

(1) track the delivery and receipt of the voter's vote
23

by mail ballot by the election authority; and
24

(2) learn if the voter's vote by mail ballot was
25

accepted for counting and, if not, the reason why the

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1

ballot was rejected.
2

For each election, the election authority shall make the
3
secure, free access system available to vote by mail voters
4
from the first day that vote by mail ballots are accepted until
5
30 days after completion of the official canvass.

6

(10 ILCS 5/19A-15)
7

Sec. 19A-15.
Period for early voting; hours.
8

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the period
9
for early voting by personal appearance begins the 40th day
10
preceding a general primary, consolidated primary,
11
consolidated, or general election and extends through the end
12
of the day before election day.
13

(b) Except as otherwise provided by this Section, a
14
permanent polling place for early voting must remain open
15
beginning the 15th day before an election through the end of
16
the day before election day during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to
17
4:30 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on weekdays, except that
18
beginning 8 days before election day, a permanent polling
19
place for early voting must remain open during the hours of
20
8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and 9:00
21
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays, and 10:00 a.m. to
22
4 p.m. on Sundays; except that, in addition to the hours
23
required by this subsection, a permanent polling place
24
designated by an election authority under subsections (c),
25
(d), and (e) of Section 19A-10 must remain open for a total of

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
at least 8 hours on any holiday during the early voting period
2
and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend during
3
the early voting period.
4

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), an election authority
5
may close an early voting polling place if the building in
6
which the polling place is located has been closed by the State
7
or unit of local government in response to a severe weather
8
emergency or other force majeure. The election authority shall
9
notify the State Board of Elections of any closure and shall
10
make reasonable efforts to provide notice to the public of an
11
alternative location for early voting.
12

(d) (Blank).
13

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, an election
14
authority shall allow any voter who is in line to vote at the
15
time an early voting polling place closes to cast a ballot.

16
(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)

17

Section 10.
The Illinois Procurement Code is amended by
18
changing Section 15-45 as follows:

19

(30 ILCS 500/15-45)
20

Sec. 15-45.
Computation of days.
The time within which any
21
act provided in this Code is to be done shall be computed by
22
excluding the first day and including the last, unless the
23
last day is Saturday or Sunday or is a holiday, and then it
24
shall also be excluded. If the day succeeding a Saturday,

SB3511
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1
Sunday, or holiday is also a holiday, a Saturday, or a Sunday,
2
then that succeeding day shall also be excluded. For the
3
purposes of this Code, "holiday" means: New Year's Day; Dr.
4
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Lincoln's Birthday;
5
President's Day; Memorial Day; Juneteenth National Freedom
6
Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day;
General
7
Election Day;
Veterans' Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day;
8
and any other day from time to time declared by the President
9
of the United States or the Governor of Illinois to be a day
10
during which the agencies of the State of Illinois that are
11
ordinarily open to do business with the public shall be closed
12
for business.
13

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
14
contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known as
15
2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
16
State pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 101st General
17
Assembly.

18
(Source: P.A. 101-642, eff. 6-16-20; 102-14, eff. 1-1-22;
19
102-334, eff. 8-9-21.)

20

Section 15.
The School Code is amended by changing Section
21
24-2 as follows:

22

(105 ILCS 5/24-2)
23

Sec. 24-2.
Holidays.
24

(a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays,

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section,
2
shall teachers, educational support personnel employees, or
3
other school employees, other than noncertificated school
4
employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency
5
or for the continued operation and maintenance of school
6
facilities or property, be required to work on legal school
7
holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third
8
Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
9
Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln;
10
the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's
11
birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by
12
federal law; June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day; July 4,
13
Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day;
14
the second Monday in October, Columbus Day;
the first Tuesday
15
after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years,
16
General Election Day;
November 11, Veterans' Day; the Thursday
17
in November commonly called Thanksgiving Day; and December 25,
18
Christmas Day. School boards may grant special holidays
19
whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. No
20
deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a
21
school employee, including an educational support personnel
22
employee, on account of any legal or special holiday in which
23
that employee would have otherwise been scheduled to work but
24
for the legal or special holiday.
25

(b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for
26
waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes,
2
parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third
3
Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
4
Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln);
5
the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's
6
birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day); and
7
November 11 (Veterans' Day), provided that:
8

(1) the person or persons honored by the holiday are
9

recognized through instructional activities conducted on
10

that day or, if the day is not used for student attendance,
11

on the first school day preceding or following that day;
12

and
13

(2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority
14

first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The
15

entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing
16

to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth
17

the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the
18

proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony
19

from educators and parents about the proposal.
20

(c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified
21
patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities,
22
or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays
23
are: January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali), January 28 (to
24
be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a
25
commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday
26
of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day),

SB3511
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1
the last Friday in April (Arbor and Bird Day), September 11
2
(September 11th Day of Remembrance), September 17
3
(Constitution Day), the school day immediately preceding
4
Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling
5
Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance
6
Day), October 9 (Leif Erikson Day), the day immediately after
7
Thanksgiving (Native American Heritage Day), December 7 (Pearl
8
Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so appointed by the
9
President or Governor. School boards may establish
10
commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment such action
11
is advisable. School boards may include instruction relative
12
to commemorated persons, activities, or events on the
13
commemorative holiday or at any other time during the school
14
year and at any point in the curriculum when such instruction
15
may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of Education may
16
prepare and make available to school boards instructional
17
materials relative to commemorated persons, activities, or
18
events which may be used by school boards in conjunction with
19
any instruction provided pursuant to this paragraph.
20

(d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe
21
March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday
22
shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to
23
commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive
24
Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late
25
Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington.
26
If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
observed on the following Monday.
2

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to
3
the contrary,
the date of the general election on the first
4
Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered
5
years

November 3, 2020
shall be a State holiday known as
2020

6
General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
7
State
pursuant to Public Act 101-642
. All government offices,
8
with the exception of election authorities, shall be closed
9
unless authorized to be used as a location for election day
10
services or as a polling place.
11

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
12
contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as
13
2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
14
State under Public Act 102-15.

15

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
16
contrary, November 5, 2024 shall be a State holiday known as
17
2024 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout
18
this State pursuant to Public Act 103-467.
19
(Source: P.A. 103-15, eff. 7-1-23; 103-395, eff. 1-1-24;
20
103-467, eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 104-391, eff.
21
8-15-25.)

22

Section 20.
The State Universities Civil Service Act is
23
amended by changing Section 45a as follows:

24

(110 ILCS 70/45a)

(from Ch. 24 1/2, par. 38l.1)

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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1

Sec. 45a.
Except as provided in the second sentence of
2
this Section, all officers and employees subject to this Act,
3
shall have the following days as holidays, for which they
4
shall receive their usual compensation: New Year's Day,
5
January 1, Memorial Day, as determined by the law of the State
6
of Illinois, Juneteenth National Freedom Day, as determined by
7
the law of the State of Illinois, Independence Day, July 4,
8
Labor Day, the first Monday in September,
General Election
9
Day, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in
10
even-numbered years,
Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday of
11
November, Christmas Day, December 25, and five holidays to be
12
designated by each college, university, or agency subject to
13
this Act. Craft and trade employees subject to this Act shall
14
be paid for all paid holidays included in their area
15
agreement, and will be paid for all five holidays designated
16
by their employer pursuant to this Section.
17

College, university, agency, and community college offices

18
Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
19
contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known as
20
2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
21
State pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 101st General
22
Assembly. All government offices, with the exception of
23
election authorities,
shall be closed
on General Election Day

24
unless authorized to be used as a location for election day
25
services or as a polling place.
26

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the

SB3511
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LRB104 19395 SPS 32843 b
1
contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as
2
2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
3
State under this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
4
(Source: P.A. 101-642, eff. 6-16-20; 102-15, eff. 6-17-21;
5
102-1075, eff. 6-10-22.)

6

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
7
becoming law.

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