§ 7-17 — Candidate ballot name procedures

(a) Each election authority in each county shall cause to be printed upon the general primary ballot of each party for each precinct in his jurisdiction the name of each candidate whose petition for nomination or for committeeperson has been filed in the office of the county clerk, as herein provided; and also the name of each candidate whose name has been certified to his office by the State Board of Elections, and in the order so certified, except as hereinafter provided. It shall be the duty of the election authority to cause to be printed upon the consolidated primary ballot of each political party for each precinct in his jurisdiction the name of each candidate whose name has been certified to him, as herein provided and which is to be voted for in such precinct. (b) In the designation of the name of a candidate on the primary 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 primary 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. (c) 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 (b) 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 (b) of this Section. (d) 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 (c) of this Section, then the aggrieved candidate may seek appropriate relief in circuit court.

Legislative History

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