§ 9-1

The words and phrases defined in this section and used in this Article, unless inconsistent with the context, shall be construed as follows: "Precinct" means any part of a city, village or incorporated town of over 200,000 population which was a "voting precinct" or an "election precinct" for voting at the last general election. "Political subdivision" means a township, road district, city, village or incorporated town, as the case may be. "Legal voter", insofar as the signing of a petition for a local option election is concerned, means a person who is registered to vote at the address shown opposite his signature on the petition or was registered to vote at such address when he signed the petition. "Annexed area" means a territory which has attached to and become a part of a different political subdivision or precinct. The term shall be an appropriate designation only until the area to which it attaches holds a referendum hereunder. "Disconnected area" means a territory which has detached or separated from a political subdivision or precinct. "Licensed establishment" means the premises specified in a retailer's license pursuant to paragraph (d) of Section 5-1 and whose primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages on the premises, which premises are located in any municipality having more than 2,000,000 inhabitants. In the phrase, "Shall the sale at retail of alcoholic liquor (or alcoholic liquor other than beer containing not more than 4% of alcohol by weight) (or alcoholic liquor containing more than 4% of alcohol by weight except in the original package and not for consumption on the premises) be prohibited in (or at) ....?" the proper name, whether of a "township", "road district", "precinct", "city", "village" or "incorporated town", or the street address of the licensed establishment, shall be understood to be inserted in the blank, and the same shall be inserted in the petitions filed by and the ballots prepared for the voters of any precinct, township, road district, city, village or incorporated town. "Clerk", with reference to cities, villages and incorporated towns, and precinct situated therein, means the town, city or village clerk, as the case may be; with reference to cities, villages and incorporated towns which have by ordinance created a Board of Election Commissioners, it means the Board of Election Commissioners; with reference to road districts in counties not under township organization, it means the road district clerk; with reference to townships or parts of townships lying outside of cities, villages and incorporated towns in counties under township organization, it means the township clerk. "Election" as used in reference to cities, villages and incorporated towns, means an election at a time fixed by the general election law for choosing city, village or incorporated town officers. "Election" also means an election at a time fixed by the general election law for choosing county, township or road district officers. In case an election is to be held for officers of the city, village, incorporated town, township, or road district to which a proposition requested pursuant to this Article shall be submitted, or for the election of officers of a township or road district in which it is requested that such proposition be submitted to that part of a township or road district lying outside the corporate limits of a city, village or incorporated town, not less than 90 days nor more than 6 months following the filing of such petition, then the words "next ensuing election" as used herein shall mean the next ensuing election for officers of such city, village, incorporated town, township or road district, regardless of any intervening elections at which residents of such city, village, incorporated town, township or road district may vote.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 86-861; 87-347.)