Current through Public Act 156 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 168.720h - Early voting plans; requirements; certification(1) No later than 120 days before the first statewide or federal election in each even numbered year, all of the following apply: (a) Each municipality that is conducting early voting as a single municipality under section 720e must file an early voting plan with the county clerk of the county in which the municipality is located.(b) The coordinator for the municipalities that have signed a municipal agreement under section 720f must file an early voting plan for the municipalities participating in the municipal agreement with the county clerk of the county in which the municipalities are located.(c) Each county that is a party to a county agreement must prepare an early voting plan.(2) If a municipality described in subsection (1)(a) fails to file an early voting plan with the county clerk of the county in which the municipality is located by the deadline provided in subsection (1), the county clerk of the county in which the municipality is located shall immediately contact the clerk of that municipality and attempt to determine that municipality's plan for conducting early voting.(3) An early voting plan must provide sufficient details describing the processes created to conduct early voting. Each early voting plan must include, but not be limited to, all of the following:(a) Whether the plan covers a municipality described in section 720e, a municipal agreement described in section 720f, or a county agreement described in section 720g.(b) The name of each municipal clerk, and, if applicable, the name of the county clerk, executing the early voting plan.(c) The number of precincts and registered electors in the municipality under section 720e, the municipal agreement under section 720f, or the county agreement under section 720g, as applicable.(d) The number of early voting sites, the location of each early voting site, if available, and the municipality or municipalities the early voting sites serve.(e) The name, position, and contact information of the coordinator for a municipal agreement or county agreement, if applicable.(f) Any additional early voting days that will be offered before the required 9 consecutive days of early voting as provided in section 720b, along with the hours the early voting sites will be open on those additional early voting days.(g) Beginning January 1, 2026, whether early voting will be offered on the Monday before election day.(h) The communication strategy for informing electors of the opportunity for early voting.(i) The process to ensure that the secretary of state has the information necessary to include the location, along with the dates and hours of operation, of each early voting site on the department of state's website.(j) A copy of a municipal agreement or a county agreement, if applicable.(k) Any other information as the secretary of state or county clerk considers necessary.(4) Each county clerk shall review each early voting plan that the county clerk receives under subsection (1)(a) and (b) to verify that the early voting plan contains all the required information. Each municipality in a county that is conducting early voting as a single municipality under section 720e and each coordinator for municipalities that have entered into a municipal agreement under section 720f shall submit accurate and complete information in the early voting plan, and shall promptly respond to a request for information from the county clerk or the county clerk's staff.(5) No later than 110 days before the first statewide or federal election in an even numbered year, each county clerk shall submit to the secretary of state a countywide early voting plan that includes, at a minimum, all of the following: (a) Whether the county clerk is participating in a county agreement described under section 720g, and if so, which municipalities in the county are parties to the county agreement.(b) Which municipalities in the county, if any, will be conducting early voting as a single municipality under section 720e, and which municipalities in the county, if any, will be conducting early voting under a municipal agreement under section 720f.(c) If any municipalities in the county are conducting early voting under a municipal agreement under section 720f, the municipalities that are parties to each municipal agreement.(d) The process that the county, each municipal coordinator in the county, and each municipality that is not a party to a municipal agreement or a county agreement, will use to ensure that the secretary of state has the information necessary to include the location, along with the dates and hours of operation, of each early voting site on the department of state's website.(e) A copy of each early voting plan submitted by the municipalities in the county and by the municipal coordinators in the county, and a copy of the county early voting plan prepared by the county clerk.(f) Any other information that the secretary of state or county clerk considers necessary.(6) The county clerk shall certify that the electors of each municipality in the county are served by 1 or more early voting sites. If any municipality in the county is not a party to a municipal agreement or a county agreement and has not filed an early voting plan as a municipality conducting early voting as a single municipality, the county clerk shall indicate the name of that municipality as an exception to the certification and shall indicate what steps the county clerk has taken to determine that municipality's plan for early voting.Added by 2023, Act 81,s 14, eff. 2/13/2024.