Illinois Statutes § 5/16-6 Separate ballot for constitutional amendment proposals

Whenever one or more proposals for amendment of the constitution or the calling of a constitutional convention or any combination thereof is or are to be voted upon by the people, the proposition or propositions for the adoption or rejection of such amendment or amendments or convention shall be submitted upon the same [a ballot separate from the] "Official Ballot" containing the names of candidates for State and other offices to be voted at such election. Such proposition or propositions shall be printed at the top of the "Official Ballot" preceding the names of candidates for State and other offices to be voted at such election. Such proposition or propositions shall be printed upon plain white paper with no shading, highlighting, or other distinct markings and shall include the official title of the section so named to be added or amended in the Constitution. [Such separate ballot shall be printed upon paper of a distinctly blue color and shall, as near as may be practicable, be of uniform size and blue color, but any variation in the size of such ballots or in the tincture of blue employed shall not affect or impair the validity thereof.] Preceding each proposal to amend the constitution shall be printed the brief explanation of the amendment, prepared by the General Assembly, or in the case of a proposed amendment initiated by petition pursuant to Section 3 of Article XIV of the Constitution of the State of Illinois by the principal proponents of the amendment as approved by the Attorney General, and immediately below the explanation, the proposition shall be printed in substantially the following form:

In the case of a proposition for the calling of a constitutional convention, such proposition shall be printed in substantially the following form:

Included with the ballot there [On the back or outside of the ballot so as to appear when folded,] shall be a printed notice with the words "CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT [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 clerk or other officer who has caused the ballots to be printed. Immediately above the words "CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT [BALLOT] " in the case of a proposition for the calling of a constitutional convention or a proposition to amend the Constitution the following legend shall be printed in bold face type:

NOTICE

THE FAILURE TO VOTE THIS BALLOT MAY BE THE EQUIVALENT OF A NEGATIVE VOTE, BECAUSE A CONVENTION SHALL BE CALLED OR THE AMENDMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE IF APPROVED BY EITHER THREE-FIFTHS OF THOSE VOTING ON THE QUESTION OR A MAJORITY OF THOSE VOTING IN THE ELECTION. (THIS IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A DIRECTION THAT YOUR VOTE IS REQUIRED TO BE CAST EITHER IN FAVOR OF OR IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSITION HEREIN CONTAINED.)

WHETHER YOU VOTE THIS BALLOT OR NOT YOU MUST RETURN IT TO THE ELECTION JUDGE WHEN YOU LEAVE THE VOTING BOOTH.

If a proposition for the calling of a constitutional convention is submitted at the same election as one or more propositions to amend the constitution, the proposition for the calling of a constitutional convention shall be printed at the top of the ballot. In such case, the constitution amendment notice [the back or outside of the ballot] shall be printed the same as if it were a proposal solely to amend the constitution.

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.