§ 16-3

(a) The names of all candidates to be voted for in each election district or precinct shall be printed on one ballot, except as is provided in Sections 16-6, 16-6.1, and 21-1.01 of this Code and except as otherwise provided in this Code with respect to the odd year regular elections and the emergency referenda. The lettering of candidate names on a ballot shall be in both capital and lowercase letters in conformance with standard English language guidelines, unless compliance is not feasible due to the election system utilized by the election authority. All nominations of any political party shall be placed under the party appellation or title of such party as designated in the certificates of nomination or petitions. The names of all independent candidates shall be printed upon the ballot in a column or columns under the heading "independent" arranged under the names or titles of the respective offices for which such independent candidates shall have been nominated and so far as practicable, the name or names of any independent candidate or candidates for any office shall be printed upon the ballot opposite the name or names of any candidate or candidates for the same office contained in any party column or columns upon said ballot. The ballot shall contain no other names, except that in cases of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President may be added to the party designation and words calculated to aid the voter in his choice of candidates may be added, such as "Vote for one" or "Vote for not more than three". If no candidate or candidates file for an office and if no person or persons file a declaration as a write-in candidate for that office, then below the title of that office the election authority instead shall print "No Candidate". When an electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot label booklet, the candidates and questions shall appear on the pages of such booklet in the order provided by this Code; and, in any case where candidates for an office appear on a page which does not contain the name of any candidate for another office, and where less than 50% of the page is utilized, the name of no candidate shall be printed on the lowest 25% of such page. On the back or outside of the ballot, so as to appear when folded, shall be printed the words "Official Ballot", followed by the designation of the polling place for which the ballot is prepared, the date of the election and a facsimile of the signature of the election authority who has caused the ballots to be printed. The ballots shall be of plain white paper, through which the printing or writing cannot be read. However, ballots for use at the nonpartisan and consolidated elections may be printed on different color paper, except blue paper, whenever necessary or desirable to facilitate distinguishing between ballots for different political subdivisions. In the case of nonpartisan elections for officers of a political subdivision, unless the statute or an ordinance adopted pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution providing the form of government therefor requires otherwise, the column listing such nonpartisan candidates shall be printed with no appellation or circle at its head. The party appellation or title, or the word "independent" at the head of any column provided for independent candidates, shall be printed in letters not less than one-fourth of an inch in height and a circle one-half inch in diameter shall be printed at the beginning of the line in which such appellation or title is printed, provided, however, that no such circle shall be printed at the head of any column or columns provided for such independent candidates. The names of candidates shall be printed in letters not less than one-eighth nor more than one-fourth of an inch in height, and at the beginning of each line in which a name of a candidate is printed a square shall be printed, the sides of which shall be not less than one-fourth of an inch in length. However, the names of the candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on the same ticket shall be printed within a bracket and a single square shall be printed in front of the bracket. The list of candidates of the several parties and any such list of independent candidates shall be placed in separate columns on the ballot in such order as the election authorities charged with the printing of the ballots shall decide; provided, that the names of the candidates of the several political parties, certified by the State Board of Elections to the several county clerks shall be printed by the county clerk of the proper county on the official ballot in the order certified by the State Board of Elections. Any county clerk refusing, neglecting or failing to print on the official ballot the names of candidates of the several political parties in the order certified by the State Board of Elections, and any county clerk who prints or causes to be printed upon the official ballot the name of a candidate, for an office to be filled by the Electors of the entire State, whose name has not been duly certified to him upon a certificate signed by the State Board of Elections shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. (b) When an electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot card, on the inside flap of each ballot card envelope there shall be printed a form for write-in voting which shall be substantially as follows: WRITE-IN VOTES (See card of instructions for specific information. Duplicate form below by hand for additional write-in votes.) ............................. Title of Office ( ) ............................. Name of Candidate Write-in lines equal to the number of candidates for which a voter may vote shall be printed for an office only if one or more persons filed declarations of intent to be write-in candidates or qualify to file declarations to be write-in candidates under Sections 17-16.1 and 18-9.1 when the certification of ballot contains the words "OBJECTION PENDING". (c) When an electronic voting system is used which uses a ballot sheet, the instructions to voters on the ballot sheet shall refer the voter to the card of instructions for specific information on write-in voting. Below each office appearing on such ballot sheet there shall be a provision for the casting of a write-in vote. Write-in lines equal to the number of candidates for which a voter may vote shall be printed for an office only if one or more persons filed declarations of intent to be write-in candidates or qualify to file declarations to be write-in candidates under Sections 17-16.1 and 18-9.1 when the certification of ballot contains the words "OBJECTION PENDING". (d) When such electronic system is used, there shall be printed on the back of each ballot card, each ballot card envelope, and the first page of the ballot label when a ballot label is used, the words "Official Ballot," followed by the number of the precinct or other precinct identification, which may be stamped, in lieu thereof and, as applicable, the number and name of the township, ward or other election district for which the ballot card, ballot card envelope, and ballot label are prepared, the date of the election and a facsimile of the signature of the election authority who has caused the ballots to be printed. The back of the ballot card shall also include a method of identifying the ballot configuration such as a listing of the political subdivisions and districts for which votes may be cast on that ballot, or a number code identifying the ballot configuration or color coded ballots, except that where there is only one ballot configuration in a precinct, the precinct identification, and any applicable ward identification, shall be sufficient. Ballot card envelopes used in punch card systems shall be of paper through which no writing or punches may be discerned and shall be of sufficient length to enclose all voting positions. However, the election authority may provide ballot card envelopes on which no precinct number or township, ward or other election district designation, or election date are preprinted, if space and a preprinted form are provided below the space provided for the names of write-in candidates where such information may be entered by the judges of election. Whenever an election authority utilizes ballot card envelopes on which the election date and precinct is not preprinted, a judge of election shall mark such information for the particular precinct and election on the envelope in ink before tallying and counting any write-in vote written thereon. If some method of insuring ballot secrecy other than an envelope is used, such information must be provided on the ballot itself. (e) In the designation of the name of a candidate on the ballot, the candidate's given name or names, initial or initials, a nickname by which the candidate is commonly known, or a combination thereof, may be used in addition to the candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the last day for filing the petition for nomination, nomination papers, or certificate of nomination for that office, whichever is applicable, then (i) the candidate's name on the ballot must be followed by "formerly known as (list all prior names during the 3-year period) until name changed on (list date of each such name change)" and (ii) the petition, papers, or certificate must be accompanied by the candidate's affidavit stating the candidate's previous names during the period specified in (i) and the date or dates each of those names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for the ballot or removing the candidate's name from the ballot, as appropriate, but these requirements do not apply to name changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's or parents' surname, marriage or civil union to assume a spouse's surname, or dissolution of marriage or civil union or declaration of invalidity of marriage or civil union to assume a former surname or a name change that conforms the candidate's name to his or her gender identity. No other designation such as a political slogan, title, or degree or nickname suggesting or implying possession of a title, degree or professional status, or similar information may be used in connection with the candidate's surname. For purposes of this Section, a "political slogan" is defined as any word or words expressing or connoting a position, opinion, or belief that the candidate may espouse, including, but not limited to, any word or words conveying any meaning other than that of the personal identity of the candidate. A candidate may not use a political slogan as part of his or her name on the ballot, notwithstanding that the political slogan may be part of the candidate's name. (f) The State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an election authority shall remove any candidate's name designation from a ballot that is inconsistent with subsection (e) of this Section. In addition, the State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an election authority shall not certify to any election authority any candidate name designation that is inconsistent with subsection (e) of this Section. (g) If the State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an election authority removes a candidate's name designation from a ballot under subsection (f) of this Section, then the aggrieved candidate may seek appropriate relief in circuit court. Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used, the provisions of this Section may be modified as required or authorized by Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever is applicable. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit election authorities from using or reusing ballot card envelopes which were printed before January 1, 1986 (the effective date of Public Act 84-820).

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-467, eff. 8-4-23; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)