(10 ILCS 5/Art. 29B heading)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-5) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-5; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1102)
Sec. 29B-5. Purpose. The Legislature hereby declares that the purpose of this Article is to encourage every candidate for public office in this State to subscribe to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices. It is the intent of the Legislature that every candidate for public office in this State who subscribes to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices will follow the basic principles of decency, honesty and fair play in order to encourage healthy competition and open discussion of issues and candidate qualifications and discourage practices that cloud the issues or unfairly attack opponents.
(Source: P.A. 86-873; 87-1052.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-10) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-10; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1103)
Sec. 29B-10. Code of Fair Campaign Practices. At the time a political committee, as defined in Article 9, files its statements of organization, the State Board of Elections, in the case of a state political committee or a political committee acting as both a state political committee and a local political committee, or the county clerk, in the case of a local political committee, shall give the political committee a blank form of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices and a copy of the provisions of this Article. The State Board of Elections or county clerk shall inform each political committee that subscription to the Code is voluntary. The text of the Code shall read as follows:
There are basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play that every candidate for public office in the State of Illinois has a moral obligation to observe and uphold, in order that, after vigorously contested but fairly conducted campaigns, our citizens may exercise their constitutional right to a free and untrammeled choice and the will of the people may be fully and clearly expressed on the issues.
THEREFORE:
(1) I will conduct my campaign openly and publicly, and limit attacks on my opponent to legitimate challenges to his record.
(2) I will not use or permit the use of character defamation, whispering campaigns, libel, slander, or scurrilous attacks on any candidate or his personal or family life.
(3) I will not use or permit any appeal to negative prejudice based on race, sex, sexual orientation, religion or national origin.
(4) I will not use campaign material of any sort that misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts, nor will I use malicious or unfounded accusations that aim at creating or exploiting doubts, without justification, as to the personal integrity or patriotism of my opposition.
(5) I will not undertake or condone any dishonest or unethical practice that tends to corrupt or undermine our American system of free elections or that hampers or prevents the full and free expression of the will of the voters.
(6) I will defend and uphold the right of every qualified American voter to full and equal participation in the electoral process.
(7) I will immediately and publicly repudiate methods and tactics that may come from others that I have pledged not to use or condone. I shall take firm action against any subordinate who violates any provision of this Code or the laws governing elections.
I, the undersigned, candidate for election to public office in the State of Illinois or chair of a political committee in support of or opposition to a question of public policy, hereby voluntarily endorse, subscribe to, and solemnly pledge myself to conduct my campaign in accordance with the above principles and practices.
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Date
Signature
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-15) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-15; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1104)
Sec. 29B-15. Responsibility of State Board of Elections for printing and supplying of forms. The State Board of Elections shall print, or cause to be printed, copies of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices. The State Board of Elections shall supply the forms to the county clerks in quantities and at times requested by the clerks.
(Source: P.A. 86-873; 87-1052.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-20) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-20; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1105)
Sec. 29B-20. Acceptance of completed forms; retentions for public inspection. The State Board of Elections and the county clerks shall accept, at all times prior to an election, all completed copies of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices that are properly subscribed to by a candidate or the chair of a political committee in support of or opposition to a question of public policy, and shall retain them for public inspection until 30 days after the election.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-25) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-25; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1106)
Sec. 29B-25. Subscribed forms as public records. Every copy of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices subscribed to by a candidate or the chair of a political committee in support of or opposition to a question of public policy under this Article is a public record open for public inspection.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-30) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-30; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1107)
Sec. 29B-30. Subscription to Code voluntary. The subscription by a candidate or the chair of a political committee in support of or opposition to a question of public policy is voluntary.
A candidate, or the chair of a political committee, who has filed a copy of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices may so indicate on any campaign literature or advertising in a form to be determined by the State Board of Elections.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/29B-35) (from Ch. 46, par. 29B-35; formerly Ch. 46, par. 1108)
Sec. 29B-35. Failure to comply. Any candidate or chairman of a political committee who subscribes to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices and fails to comply with any provision of the Code shall not be guilty of a criminal offense and nothing in this Article or any other law shall be construed to impose any criminal penalty for noncompliance with this Article.
(Source: P.A. 86-1435; 87-1052.)