§11-17 Removal of names from register, when; reregistration. (a) The clerk, no later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixtieth day after every general election, shall remove the name of any registered voter who did not vote in that general election, and also did not vote in the primary election preceding that general election, and also did not vote in the previous general election, and also did not vote in the primary election preceding that general election, and also did not vote in the regularly scheduled special elections held in conjunction with those primary and general elections, if any, with the exception of:
(1) Those who submitted written requests for absentee ballots as provided in section 15-4; or
(2) Anyone who preregistered pursuant to section 11-12(b).
If a person voted, at least once, in any of the above-mentioned elections, the person's name shall remain on the list of registered voters. For this purpose, "vote" means the depositing of the ballot in the ballot box regardless of whether the ballot is blank or later rejected for any reason. In the case of voting machines, "vote" means the voter has activated the proper mechanism and fed the ballot into the machine. In the case of an election by mail pursuant to part VIIA, "vote" means the voter has returned the ballot to the chief election officer or clerk by the United States Postal Service, by personal delivery of the ballot to a place of deposit or voter service center, or by electronic transmission under certain circumstances pursuant to part VIIA.
(b) The clerk shall also identify or remove the name of any registered voter if the clerk, after mailing a notice or other correspondence, properly addressed, with postage prepaid, receives the notice or other correspondence as return mail with a postal notation that the notice or other correspondence was not deliverable. On election day, any person identified or removed shall have the person's name corrected or restored in the register and shall be allowed to vote if the person completes an affidavit or other form prescribed by the chief election officer affirming that the person:
(1) Claims the person's legal residence at the address listed on the register;
(2) Changed the person's legal residence after the closing of the register for that election; or
(3) Moved to a new residence within the same district as the person's residence as listed on the register.
(c) The clerk may remove the name of any registered voter, if the voter so desires and properly notifies the clerk pursuant to the procedures established by the chief election officer.
(d) Any person whose name has been removed from the register, at any time prior to the closing of the register, as provided in section 11-24, may have that person's name restored in the register by presenting oneself to the clerk and reregistering pursuant to section 11-15, or by making application by mail or otherwise pursuant to procedures established by the clerk. The clerk shall require satisfactory evidence to establish the identity of the applicant. The names of all those persons shall be reentered in the register. [L 1970, c 26, pt of §2; am L 1973, c 217, §1(g); am L 1975, c 36, §1(3); am L 1976, c 106, §1(5); am L 1981, c 195, §2; am L 1982, c 226, §1; am L 1983, c 124, §1; am L 1987, c 273, §1; am L 1990, c 45, §5 and c 134, §2; am L 1993, c 24, §2; am L 1994, c 119, §1; am L 2019, c 136, §7]