(10 ILCS 5/Art. 28 heading)

(10 ILCS 5/28-1) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-1) Sec. 28-1. The initiation and submission of all public questions to be voted upon by the electors of the State or of any political subdivision or district or precinct or combination of precincts shall be subject to the provisions of this Article. Questions of public policy which have any legal effect shall be submitted to referendum only as authorized by a statute which so provides or by the Constitution. Advisory questions of public policy shall be submitted to referendum pursuant to Section 28-5 or pursuant to a statute which so provides. The method of initiating the submission of a public question shall be as provided by the statute authorizing such public question, or as provided by the Constitution. All public questions shall be initiated, submitted and printed on the ballot in the form required by Section 16-7 of this Act, except as may otherwise be specified in the statute authorizing a public question. Whenever a statute provides for the initiation of a public question by a petition of electors, the provisions of such statute shall govern with respect to the number of signatures required, the qualifications of persons entitled to sign the petition, the contents of the petition, the officer with whom the petition must be filed, and the form of the question to be submitted. If such statute does not specify any of the foregoing petition requirements, the corresponding petition requirements of Section 28-6 shall govern such petition. Irrespective of the method of initiation, not more than 3 public questions other than (a) back door referenda, (b) referenda to determine whether a disconnection may take place where a city coterminous with a township is proposing to annex territory from an adjacent township, (c) referenda held under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code, (d) referenda held under Section 2-3002 of the Counties Code, or (e) referenda held under Article 22, 23, or 29 of the Township Code may be submitted to referendum with respect to a political subdivision at the same election. If more than 3 propositions are timely initiated or certified for submission at an election with respect to a political subdivision, the first 3 validly initiated, by the filing of a petition or by the adoption of a resolution or ordinance of a political subdivision, as the case may be, shall be printed on the ballot and submitted at that election. However, except as expressly authorized by law not more than one proposition to change the form of government of a municipality pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution may be submitted at an election. If more than one such proposition is timely initiated or certified for submission at an election with respect to a municipality, the first validly initiated shall be the one printed on the ballot and submitted at that election. No public question shall be submitted to the voters of a political subdivision at any regularly scheduled election at which such voters are not scheduled to cast votes for any candidates for nomination for, election to or retention in public office, except that if, in any existing or proposed political subdivision in which the submission of a public question at a regularly scheduled election is desired, the voters of only a portion of such existing or proposed political subdivision are not scheduled to cast votes for nomination for, election to or retention in public office at such election, but the voters in one or more other portions of such existing or proposed political subdivision are scheduled to cast votes for nomination for, election to or retention in public office at such election, the public question shall be voted upon by all the qualified voters of the entire existing or proposed political subdivision at the election. Not more than 3 advisory public questions may be submitted to the voters of the entire state at a general election. If more than 3 such advisory propositions are initiated, the first 3 timely and validly initiated shall be the questions printed on the ballot and submitted at that election; provided however, that a question for a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Constitution pursuant to Section 3, Article XIV of the Constitution, or for a question submitted under the Property Tax Cap Referendum Law, shall not be included in the foregoing limitation. (Source: P.A. 100-107, eff. 1-1-18.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-2) Sec. 28-2. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, petitions for the submission of public questions to referendum must be filed with the appropriate officer or board not less than 92 days prior to a regular election to be eligible for submission on the ballot at such election; and petitions for the submission of a question under Section 18-120 or Section 18-206 of the Property Tax Code must be filed with the appropriate officer or board not more than 10 months nor less than 6 months prior to the election at which such question is to be submitted to the voters. (b) However, petitions for the submission of a public question to referendum which proposes the creation or formation of a political subdivision must be filed with the appropriate officer or board not less than 122 days prior to a regular election to be eligible for submission on the ballot at such election. (c) Resolutions or ordinances of governing boards of political subdivisions which initiate the submission of public questions pursuant to law must be adopted not less than 79 days before a regularly scheduled election to be eligible for submission on the ballot at such election. (d) A petition, resolution or ordinance initiating the submission of a public question may specify a regular election at which the question is to be submitted, and must so specify if the statute authorizing the public question requires submission at a particular election. However, no petition, resolution or ordinance initiating the submission of a public question, other than a legislative resolution initiating an amendment to the Constitution, may specify such submission at an election more than one year, or 15 months in the case of a back door referendum as defined in subsection (f), after the date on which it is filed or adopted, as the case may be. A petition, resolution or ordinance initiating a public question which specifies a particular election at which the question is to be submitted shall be so limited, and shall not be valid as to any other election, other than an emergency referendum ordered pursuant to Section 2A-1.4. (e) If a petition initiating a public question does not specify a regularly scheduled election, the public question shall be submitted to referendum at the next regular election occurring not less than 92 days after the filing of the petition, or not less than 122 days after the filing of a petition for referendum to create a political subdivision. If a resolution or ordinance initiating a public question does not specify a regularly scheduled election, the public question shall be submitted to referendum at the next regular election occurring not less than 79 days after the adoption of the resolution or ordinance. (f) In the case of back door referenda, any limitations in another statute authorizing such a referendum which restrict the time in which the initiating petition may be validly filed shall apply to such petition, in addition to the filing deadlines specified in this Section for submission at a particular election. In the case of any back door referendum, the publication of the ordinance or resolution of the political subdivision shall include a notice of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting that a public question be submitted to the voters of the subdivision; (2) the time within which the petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective referendum. The secretary or clerk of the political subdivision shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one. The legal sufficiency of that form, if provided by the secretary or clerk of the political subdivision, cannot be the basis of a challenge to placing the back door referendum on the ballot. As used herein, a "back door referendum" is the submission of a public question to the voters of a political subdivision, initiated by a petition of voters or residents of such political subdivision, to determine whether an action by the governing body of such subdivision shall be adopted or rejected. (g) A petition for the incorporation or formation of a new political subdivision whose officers are to be elected rather than appointed must have attached to it an affidavit attesting that at least 122 days and no more than 152 days prior to such election notice of intention to file such petition was published in a newspaper published within the proposed political subdivision, or if none, in a newspaper of general circulation within the territory of the proposed political subdivision in substantially the following form:

(10 ILCS 5/28-3) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-3) Sec. 28-3. Form of petition for public question. Petitions for the submission of public questions shall consist of sheets of uniform size and each sheet shall contain, above the space for signature, an appropriate heading, giving the information as to the question of public policy to be submitted, and specifying the state at large or the political subdivision or district or precinct or combination of precincts or other territory in which it is to be submitted and, where by law the public question must be submitted at a particular election, the election at which it is to be submitted. In the case of a petition for the submission of a public question described in subsection (b) of Section 28-6, the heading shall also specify the regular election at which the question is to be submitted and include the precincts included in the territory concerning which the public question is to be submitted, as well as a common description of such territory in plain and nonlegal language, such description to describe the territory by reference to streets, natural or artificial landmarks, addresses or any other method which would enable a voter signing the petition to be informed of the territory concerning which the question is to be submitted. The heading of each sheet shall be the same. Such petition shall be signed by the registered voters of the political subdivision or district or precinct or combination of precincts in which the question of public policy is to be submitted in their own proper persons only, and opposite the signature of each signer his residence address shall be written or printed, which residence address shall include the street address or rural route number of the signer, as the case may be, as well as the signer's county, and city, village or town, and state; provided that the county or city, village or town, and state of residence of such electors may be printed on the petition forms where all of the electors signing the petition reside in the same county or city, village or town, and state. Standard abbreviations may be used in writing the residence address, including street number, if any. No signature shall be valid or be counted in considering the validity or sufficiency of such petition unless the requirements of this Section are complied with. At the bottom of each sheet of such petition shall be added a circulator's statement, signed by a person 18 years of age or older who is a citizen of the United States, stating the street address or rural route number, as the case may be, as well as the county, city, village or town, and state; certifying that the signatures on that sheet of the petition were signed in his or her presence and are genuine, and that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief the persons so signing were at the time of signing the petition registered voters of the political subdivision or district or precinct or combination of precincts in which the question of public policy is to be submitted and that their respective residences are correctly stated therein. Such statement shall be sworn to before some officer authorized to administer oaths in this State. Such sheets, before being filed with the proper officer or board shall be bound securely and numbered consecutively. The sheets shall not be fastened by pasting them together end to end, so as to form a continuous strip or roll. All petition sheets which are filed with the proper local election officials, election authorities or the State Board of Elections shall be the original sheets which have been signed by the voters and by the circulator, and not photocopies or duplicates of such sheets. A petition, when presented or filed, shall not be withdrawn, altered, or added to, and no signature shall be revoked except by revocation in writing presented or filed with the board or officer with whom the petition is required to be presented or filed, and before the presentment or filing of such petition, except as may otherwise be provided in another statute which authorize the public question. Whoever forges any name of a signer upon any petition shall be deemed guilty of a forgery, and on conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly. In addition to the foregoing requirements, a petition proposing an amendment to Article IV of the Constitution pursuant to Section 3 of Article XIV of the Constitution or a petition proposing a question of public policy to be submitted to the voters of the entire State shall be in conformity with the requirements of Section 28-9 of this Article. If multiple sets of petitions for submission of the same public questions are filed, the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official where the petitions are filed shall within 2 business days notify the proponent of his or her multiple petition filings and that proponent has 3 business days after receipt of the notice to notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official that he or she may cancel prior sets of petitions. If the proponent notifies the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official, the last set of petitions filed shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official. If the proponent fails to notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official then only the first set of petitions filed shall be valid and all subsequent petitions shall be void. (Source: P.A. 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-4) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-4) Sec. 28-4. The provisions of Sections 10-8 through 10-10.1 relating to objections to nominating petitions, hearings on objections, and judicial review, shall apply to and govern, insofar as may be practicable, objections to petitions for the submission of questions of public policy required to be filed with local election officials and election authorities, and to petitions for proposed Constitutional amendments and statewide advisory public questions required to be filed with the State Board of Elections, except that objections to petitions for the submission of proposed Constitutional amendments and statewide advisory public questions may be filed within 42 business days after the petition is filed. The electoral board to hear and pass on objections shall be the electoral board specified in Section 10-9 to have jurisdiction over objections to the nominating petitions of candidates for offices of the political subdivision in which the question of public policy is proposed to be submitted to the electors. The electoral board to hear and pass upon objections to petitions for proposed Constitutional amendments or statewide advisory public questions shall be the State Board of Elections. Objections to petitions for the submission of public questions which are required by law to be filed with the circuit court shall be presented to and heard by the court with which such petitions are filed. In such cases, unless otherwise provided in the statute authorizing the public question, the court shall (1) set a hearing on the petition, (2) cause notice of such hearing to be published, as soon as possible after the filing of the petition but not later than 14 days after such filing and not less than 5 days before the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the political subdivision to which the public question relates and if there is no such newspaper, then in one newspaper published in the county and having a general circulation in the political subdivision, (3) conduct such hearing and entertain all objections as may be properly presented on or before such hearing date in the manner as provided in Article 10 for the conduct of proceedings before electoral boards, insofar as practicable, (4) conduct further hearings as necessary to a decision on the objections properly raised, and (5) enter a final order not later than 7 days after the initial hearing. Where a statute authorizing a public question specifies judicial procedures for the determination of the validity of such petition, or for the determination by the court as to any findings required prior to ordering the proposition submitted to referendum, the procedures specified in that statute shall govern. (Source: P.A. 83-999.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-5) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-5) Sec. 28-5. Not less than 68 days before a regularly scheduled election, each local election official shall certify the public questions to be submitted to the voters of or within his political subdivision at that election which have been initiated by petitions filed in his office or by action of the governing board of his political subdivision. Not less than 68 days before a regularly scheduled election, each circuit court clerk shall certify the public questions to be submitted to the voters of a political subdivision at that election which have been ordered to be so submitted by the circuit court pursuant to law. Not less than 30 days before the date set by the circuit court for the conduct of an emergency referendum pursuant to Section 2A-1.4, the circuit court clerk shall certify the public question as herein required. Local election officials and circuit court clerks shall make their certifications, as required by this Section, to each election authority having jurisdiction over any of the territory of the respective political subdivision in which the public question is to be submitted to referendum. Not less than 68 days before the next regular election, the county clerk shall certify the public questions to be submitted to the voters of the entire county at that election, which have been initiated by petitions filed in his office or by action of the county board, to the board of election commissioners, if any, in his county. Not less than 74 days before the general election, the State Board of Elections shall certify any questions proposing an amendment to Article IV of the Constitution pursuant to Section 3, Article XIV of the Constitution and any advisory public questions to be submitted to the voters of the entire State, which have been initiated by petitions received or filed at its office, to the respective county clerks. Not less than 62 days before the general election, the county clerk shall certify such questions to the board of election commissioners, if any, in his county. The certifications shall include the form of the public question to be placed on the ballot, the date on which the public question was initiated by either the filing of a petition or the adoption of a resolution or ordinance by a governing body, as the case may be, and a certified copy of any court order or political subdivision resolution or ordinance requiring the submission of the public question. Certifications of propositions for annexation to, disconnection from, or formation of political subdivisions or for other purposes shall include a description of the territory in which the proposition is required to be submitted, whenever such territory is not coterminous with an existing political subdivision. The certification of a public question described in subsection (b) of Section 28-6 shall include the precincts included in the territory concerning which the public question is to be submitted, as well as a common description of such territory, in plain and nonlegal language, and specify the election at which the question is to be submitted. The description of the territory shall be prepared by the local election official as set forth in the resolution or ordinance initiating the public question. Whenever a local election official, an election authority, or the State Board of Elections is in receipt of an initiating petition, or a certification for the submission of a public question at an election at which the public question may not be placed on the ballot or submitted because of the limitations of Section 28-1, such officer or board shall give notice of such prohibition, by registered mail, as follows: (a) in the case of a petition, to any person

designated on a certificate attached thereto as the proponent or as the proponents' attorney for purposes of notice of objections;

(b) in the case of a certificate from a local

election authority, to such local election authority, who shall thereupon give notice as provided in subparagraph (a), or notify the governing board which adopted the initiating resolution or ordinance;

(c) in the case of a certification from a circuit

court clerk of a court order, to such court, which shall thereupon give notice as provided in subparagraph (a) and shall modify its order in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

If the petition, resolution or ordinance initiating such prohibited public question did not specify a particular election for its submission, the officer or board responsible for certifying the question to the election authorities shall certify or recertify the question, in the manner required herein, for submission on the ballot at the next regular election no more than one year, or 15 months in the case of a back door referendum as defined in subsection (f) of Section 28-2, subsequent to the filing of the initiating petition or the adoption of the initiating resolution or ordinance and at which the public question may be submitted, and the appropriate election authorities shall submit the question at such election, unless the public question is ordered submitted as an emergency referendum pursuant to Section 2A-1.4 or is withdrawn as may be provided by law. (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-6) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-6) Sec. 28-6. Petitions; filing. (a) On a written petition signed by a number of voters equal to at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election by the registered voters of the municipality, township, county or school district, it shall be the duty of the proper election officers to submit any question of public policy so petitioned for, to the electors of such political subdivision at any regular election named in the petition at which an election is scheduled to be held throughout such political subdivision under Article 2A. Such petitions shall be filed with the local election official of the political subdivision or election authority, as the case may be. Where such a question is to be submitted to the voters of a municipality which has adopted Article 6, or a township or school district located entirely within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, such petitions shall be filed with the board of election commissioners having jurisdiction over the political subdivision. (b) In a municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, when a question of public policy exclusively concerning a contiguous territory included entirely within but not coextensive with the municipality is initiated by resolution or ordinance of the corporate authorities of the municipality, or by a petition which may be signed by registered voters who reside in any part of any precinct all or part of which includes all or part of the territory and who equal in number to at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election by the voters of the precinct or precincts in the territory where the question is to be submitted to the voters, it shall be the duty of the election authority having jurisdiction over such municipality to submit such question to the electors throughout each precinct all or part of which includes all or part of the territory at the regular election specified in the resolution, ordinance or petition initiating the public question. A petition initiating a public question described in this subsection shall be filed with the election authority having jurisdiction over the municipality. A resolution, ordinance or petition initiating a public question described in this subsection shall specify the election at which the question is to be submitted. (c) Local questions of public policy authorized by this Section and statewide questions of public policy authorized by Section 28-9 shall be advisory public questions, and no legal effects shall result from the adoption or rejection of such propositions. (d) This Section does not apply to a petition filed pursuant to Article IX of the Liquor Control Act of 1934. (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-7) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-7) Sec. 28-7. Except as provided in Article 24 of the Township Code, in any case in which Article VII or paragraph (a) of Section 5 of the Transition Schedule of the Constitution authorizes any action to be taken by or with respect to any unit of local government, as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Constitution, by or subject to approval by referendum, any such public question shall be initiated in accordance with this Section. Any such public question may be initiated by the governing body of the unit of local government by resolution or by the filing with the clerk or secretary of the governmental unit of a petition signed by a number of qualified electors equal to or greater than at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election, requesting the submission of the proposal for such action to the voters of the governmental unit at a regular election. If the action to be taken requires a referendum involving 2 or more units of local government, the proposal shall be submitted to the voters of such governmental units by the election authorities with jurisdiction over the territory of the governmental units. Such multi-unit proposals may be initiated by appropriate resolutions by the respective governing bodies or by petitions of the voters of the several governmental units filed with the respective clerks or secretaries. This Section is intended to provide a method of submission to referendum in all cases of proposals for actions which are authorized by Article VII of the Constitution by or subject to approval by referendum and supersedes any conflicting statutory provisions except those contained in Division 2-5 of the Counties Code or Article 24 of the Township Code. Referenda provided for in this Section may not be held more than once in any 23-month period on the same proposition, provided that in any municipality a referendum to elect not to be a home rule unit may be held only once within any 47-month period. (Source: P.A. 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-230, eff. 8-9-19.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-8) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-8) Sec. 28-8. If a referendum held in accordance with Section 28-7 of this Act involved the question of whether a unit of local government shall become a home rule unit or shall cease to be a home rule unit and if that referendum passed, then the clerk of that unit of local government shall, within 45 days after the referendum, file with the Secretary of State a certified statement showing the results of the referendum and the resulting status of the unit of local government as a home rule unit or a non-home rule unit. The Secretary of State shall maintain such certified statements in his office as a public record. The question of whether a unit of local government shall become a home rule unit shall be submitted in substantially the following form: Shall (name of the unit of local government) become a home rule unit? Votes must be recorded as "yes" or "no". The question of whether a unit of local government shall cease to be a home rule unit shall be submitted in substantially the following form: Shall (name of the unit of local government) cease to be a home rule unit? Votes must be recorded as "yes" or "no". (Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-8.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-8.1; formerly Ch. 46, pars. 1001, 1002 and 1003) Sec. 28-8.1. Proposition publication. (a) Whenever any proposition required by law to be voted upon before its adoption, other than a constitutional amendment, is submitted to the people, it is the duty of the Secretary of State to prepare a statement setting forth in detail the Section or Sections of the law sought to be amended by the vote, together with statements and suggestions as may be necessary for a proper understanding of the proposition. The statements and suggestions shall be submitted to the Attorney General for his approval. (b) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, after the amendments and suggestions shall have been approved by the Attorney General as provided in subsection (a), to certify to each county clerk, under seal, the statements and suggestions. (c) It is hereby made the duty of the county clerk to have the statements and suggestions published and posted at the same time, in the same manner and at the same places that the sample ballots and instructions to voters are required by law to be posted. (Source: P.A. 87-1052.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-9) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-9) Sec. 28-9. Petitions for proposed amendments to Article IV of the Constitution pursuant to Section 3, Article XIV of the Constitution shall be signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election. Such petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not more than 24 months preceding the general election at which the proposed amendment is to be submitted and shall be filed with the Secretary of State at least 6 months before that general election. Upon receipt of a petition for a proposed Constitutional amendment, the Secretary of State shall, as soon as is practicable, but no later than the close of the next business day, deliver such petition to the State Board of Elections. Petitions for advisory questions of public policy to be submitted to the voters of the entire State shall be signed by a number of voters equal in number to 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election. Such petition shall have been signed by said petitioners not more than 24 months preceding the date of the general election at which the question is to be submitted and shall be filed with the State Board of Elections at least 6 months before that general election. The proponents of the proposed statewide advisory public question shall file the original petition in bound sections. Each section shall be composed of consecutively numbered petition sheets containing only the signatures of registered voters. Any petition sheets not consecutively numbered or which contain duplicate page numbers already used on other sheets, or are photocopies or duplicates of the original sheets, shall not be considered part of the petition for the purpose of the random sampling verification and shall not be counted toward the minimum number of signatures required to qualify the proposed statewide advisory public question for the ballot. Within 7 business days following the last day for filing the original petition, the proponents shall also file copies of the petition sheets with each proper election authority and obtain a receipt therefor. For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined and construed as follows: 1. "Board" means the State Board of Elections. 2. "Election Authority" means a county clerk or city or county board of election commissioners. 3. (Blank). 4. "Proponents" means any person, association, committee, organization or other group, or their designated representatives, who advocate and cause the circulation and filing of petitions for a statewide advisory question of public policy or a proposed constitutional amendment for submission at a general election and who has registered with the Board as provided in this Act. 5. "Opponents" means any person, association, committee, organization or other group, or their designated representatives, who oppose a statewide advisory question of public policy or a proposed constitutional amendment for submission at a general election and who have registered with the Board as provided in this Act. (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11; 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-10) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-10) Sec. 28-10. (Repealed). (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11. Repealed by P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-11) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-11) Sec. 28-11. The Board shall design a standard and scientific random sampling method for the verification of petition signatures for statewide advisory referenda and shall conduct a public test to prove the validity of its sampling method. Notice of the time and place for such test shall be given at least 10 days before the date on which such test is to be conducted and in the manner prescribed for notice of regular Board meetings. Signatures on petitions for constitutional amendments initiated pursuant to Article XIV, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution need not be segregated by election jurisdiction. The Board shall design an alternative signature verification method for referenda initiated pursuant to Article XIV, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution. Within 14 business days following the last day for the filing of the original petition as prescribed in Section 28-9, the Board shall apply its proven random sampling method to the petition sheets in each election jurisdiction section for the purpose of selecting and identifying the petition signatures to be included in the sample signature verification for the respective jurisdictions and shall prepare and transmit to each proper election authority a list by page and line number of the signatures from its election jurisdiction selected for verification. For each election jurisdiction, the sample verification shall include an examination of either (a) 10% of the signatures if 5,010 or more signatures are involved; or (b) 500 signatures if more than 500 but less than 5,010 signatures are involved; or (c) all signatures if 500 or less signatures are involved. Each election authority with whom jurisdictional copies of petition sheets were filed shall use the proven random sampling method designed and furnished by the Board for the verification of signatures shown on the list supplied by the Board and in accordance with the following criteria for determination of petition signature validity: 1. Determine if the person who signed the petition is

a registered voter in that election jurisdiction or was a registered voter therein on the date the petition was signed;

2. Determine if the signature of the person who

signed the petition reasonably compares with the signature shown on that person's registration record card.

Within 14 business days following receipt from the Board of the list of signatures for verification, each election authority shall transmit a properly dated certificate to the Board which shall indicate; (a) the page and line number of petition signatures examined, (b) the validity or invalidity of such signatures, and (c) the reasons for invalidity, based on the criteria heretofore prescribed. The Board shall prepare and adopt a standard form of certificate for use by the election authorities which shall be transmitted with the list of signatures for verification. Upon written request of the election authority that, due to the volume of signatures in the sample for its jurisdiction, additional time is needed to properly perform the signature verification, the Board may grant the election authority additional days to complete the verification and transmit the certificate of results. These certificates of random sample verification results shall be available for public inspection within 24 hours after receipt by the State Board of Elections. (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-12) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-12) Sec. 28-12. Upon receipt of the certificates of the election authorities showing the results of the sample signature verification, the Board shall: 1. Based on the sample, calculate the ratio of

invalid or valid signatures in each election jurisdiction.

2. Apply the ratio of invalid to valid signatures in

an election jurisdiction sample to the total number of petition signatures submitted from that election jurisdiction.

3. Compute the degree of multiple signature

contamination in each election jurisdiction sample.

4. Adjust for multiple signature contamination and

the invalid signatures, project the total number of valid petition signatures submitted from each election jurisdiction.

5. Aggregate the total number of projected valid

signatures from each election jurisdiction and project the total number of valid signatures on the petition statewide.

If such statewide projection establishes a total number of valid petition signatures not greater than 95.0% of the minimum number of signatures required to qualify the proposed statewide advisory public question for the ballot, the petition shall be presumed invalid; provided that, prior to the last day for ballot certification for the general election, the Board shall conduct a hearing for the purpose of allowing the proponents to present competent evidence or an additional sample to rebut the presumption of invalidity. At the conclusion of such hearing, and after the resolution of any specific objection filed pursuant to Section 10-8 of this Code, the Board shall issue a final order declaring the petition to be valid or invalid and shall, in accordance with its order, certify or not certify the proposition for the ballot. If such statewide projection establishes a total number of valid petition signatures greater than 95.0% of the minimum number of signatures required to qualify the proposed Constitutional amendment or statewide advisory public question for the ballot, the results of the sample shall be considered inconclusive and, if no specific objections to the petition are filed pursuant to Section 10-8 of this Code, the Board shall issue a final order declaring the petition to be valid and shall certify the proposition for the ballot. In either event, the Board shall append to its final order the detailed results of the sample from each election jurisdiction which shall include: (a) specific page and line numbers of signatures actually verified or determined to be invalid by the respective election authorities, and (b) the calculations and projections performed by the Board for each election jurisdiction. (Source: P.A. 97-81, eff. 7-5-11.)

(10 ILCS 5/28-13) (from Ch. 46, par. 28-13) Sec. 28-13. Each political party and civic organization as well as the registered proponents and opponents of a proposed statewide advisory public question shall be entitled to one watcher in the office of the election authority to observe the conduct of the sample signature verification. However, in those election jurisdictions where a 10% sample is required, the proponents and opponents may appoint no more than 5 assistant watchers in addition to the 1 principal watcher permitted herein. Within 7 days following the last day for filing of the original petition, the proponents and opponents shall certify in writing to the Board that they publicly support or oppose the proposed statewide advisory public question. The proponents and opponents of such questions shall register the name and address of its group and the name and address of its chair and designated agent for acceptance of service of notices with the Board. Thereupon, the Board shall prepare a list of the registered proponents and opponents and shall adopt a standard proponents' and opponents' watcher credential form. A copy of such list and sufficient copies of such credentials shall be transmitted with the list for the sample signature verification to the appropriate election authorities. Those election authorities shall issue credentials to the permissible number of watchers for each proponent and opponent group; provided, however, that a prospective watcher shall first present to the election authority a letter of authorization signed by the chair of the proponent or opponent group he or she represents. Political party and qualified civic organization watcher credentials shall be substantially in the form and shall be authorized in the manner prescribed in Section 7-34 of this Code. The rights and limitations of pollwatchers as prescribed by Section 7-34 of this Code, insofar as they may be made applicable, shall be applicable to watchers at the conduct of the sample signature verification. The principal watcher for the proponents and opponents may make signed written objections to the Board relating to procedures observed during the conduct of the sample signature verification which could materially affect the results of the sample. Such written objections shall be presented to the election authority and a copy mailed to the Board and shall be attached to the certificate of sample results transmitted by the election authority to the Board. (Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)