---
type: "Bill"
title: "ELEC CODE-STUDENT VOTE"
description: "Amends the Election Code. Provides that a student entitled to vote in a primary, general, or special election or at any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in the State, with consent from his or her school, is entitled to absent himself or herself for 2 hours to vote and that the school may specify the hours in which the student may absent himself or herself."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "101st"
identifier: "SB 1970"
citation: "Illinois SB 1970 (101st)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 53
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-02-15"
last_action: "2020-01-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/032f15b9-f7ee-46c4-a6c9-b2ee0b584463"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1970&GAID=15&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=119891&SessionID=108&GA=101"
source_hash: "bccf2c545c3606261cfcc84dffcd3f6f7564afd1d936ece5ddb7c10f3bb2c43d"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 1970 (101st) — ELEC CODE-STUDENT VOTE

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a student entitled to vote in a primary, general, or special election or at any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in the State, with consent from his or her school, is entitled to absent himself or herself for 2 hours to vote and that the school may specify the hours in which the student may absent himself or herself.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10100SB1970&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=119891&DocNum=1970&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10100SB1970eng&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=119891&DocNum=1970&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10100SB1970enr&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=119891&DocNum=1970&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **74–40** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **40–10** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Carol Ammons — cosponsor (person)
- Celina Villanueva — cosponsor (person)
- Christopher Belt — cosponsor (person)
- Elgie R. Sims, Jr. — primary (person)
- Jacqueline Y. Collins — cosponsor (person)
- Julie A. Morrison — cosponsor (person)
- Justin Slaughter — cosponsor (person)
- Laura M. Murphy — cosponsor (person)
- Lindsey LaPointe — cosponsor (person)
- Mattie Hunter — cosponsor (person)
- Nicholas K. Smith — primary (person)
- Ram Villivalam — cosponsor (person)
- Robert Peters — cosponsor (person)
- Robyn Gabel — cosponsor (person)
- Scott M. Bennett — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-15** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. `filing`
- **2019-02-15** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-02-15** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-05** Assigned to Executive `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-13** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Scott M. Bennett
- **2019-03-13** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Robert Peters
- **2019-03-13** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison
- **2019-03-13** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2019-03-13** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy
- **2019-03-13** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt
- **2019-03-13** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam
- **2019-03-13** Do Pass Executive; 014-001-003 `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 14, 2019
- **2019-03-20** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2019-03-20** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 21, 2019
- **2019-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. `amendment-introduction`
- **2019-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-03** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Executive
- **2019-04-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommend Do Adopt Executive; 014-002-000
- **2019-04-04** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2019-04-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Sims `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
- **2019-04-04** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2019-04-10** Third Reading - Passed; 040-010-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2019-04-11** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2019-04-11** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Nicholas K. Smith
- **2019-04-11** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-04-11** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-30** Assigned to Executive Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-07** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter
- **2019-05-10** Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-10-28** Assigned to Executive Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-10-28** Motion Filed to Suspend Rule 21 Executive Committee; Rep. Gregory Harris
- **2019-10-28** Motion to Suspend Rule 21 - Prevailed by Voice Vote
- **2019-10-28** Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) November 27, 2019
- **2019-10-28** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
- **2019-10-28** Do Pass / Short Debate Executive Committee; 012-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2019-10-28** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2019-10-28** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2019-10-28** Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2019-10-29** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2019-10-29** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 074-040-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2019-10-29** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Robyn Gabel
- **2019-10-29** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
- **2019-10-29** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Celina Villanueva
- **2019-10-29** Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Changed to Rep. Robyn Gabel
- **2019-10-29** Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Changed to Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
- **2019-10-29** Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Changed to Rep. Celina Villanueva
- **2019-10-29** Passed Both Houses
- **2019-11-25** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2020-01-23** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2020-01-23** Effective Date June 1, 2020
- **2020-01-23** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0624 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/032f15b9-f7ee-46c4-a6c9-b2ee0b584463`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).