---
type: "Bill"
title: "ELEC CD-CIVIC POLLWATCHERS"
description: "Amends the Election Code. Permits State non-partisan civic organizations that meet certain criteria to appoint precinct pollwatchers. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "95th"
identifier: "SB 299"
citation: "Illinois SB 299 (95th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 52
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2007-02-07"
last_action: "2007-08-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e5e28ac2-f45c-49c9-a011-3bb3b77b47bc"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=299&GAID=9&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=27896&SessionID=51&GA=95"
source_hash: "7ff5a37d0a8917e76c515ac8621830050895afc96cf70ed51462cbe61bcb5df2"
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 299 (95th) — ELEC CD-CIVIC POLLWATCHERS

Amends the Election Code. Permits State non-partisan civic organizations that meet certain criteria to appoint precinct pollwatchers. Effective immediately.

## 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=09500SB0299&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=27896&DocNum=299&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500SB0299eng&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=27896&DocNum=299&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500SB0299enr&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=27896&DocNum=299&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **57–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **78–37** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Barbara Flynn Currie — cosponsor (person)
- Constance A. Howard — cosponsor (person)
- Cynthia Soto — cosponsor (person)
- Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson — primary (person)
- Deborah L. Graham — cosponsor (person)
- Eddie Washington — cosponsor (person)
- Elizabeth Hernandez — cosponsor (person)
- Esther Golar — cosponsor (person)
- Jack D. Franks — cosponsor (person)
- Karen A. Yarbrough — cosponsor (person)
- LaShawn K. Ford — cosponsor (person)
- Linda Chapa LaVia — cosponsor (person)
- Mike Fortner — cosponsor (person)
- Naomi D. Jakobsson — cosponsor (person)
- Sandra M. Pihos — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2007-02-07** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson `filing`
- **2007-02-07** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-02-07** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-21** Assigned to Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-01** Do Pass Local Government; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2007-03-01** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 2, 2007
- **2007-03-01** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Pamela J. Althoff
- **2007-03-02** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2007-03-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 6, 2007
- **2007-03-08** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Dan Kotowski
- **2007-03-08** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. M. Maggie Crotty
- **2007-03-08** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Don Harmon
- **2007-03-08** Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-03-08** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2007-03-08** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-03-08** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson
- **2007-03-08** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-03-08** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-13** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
- **2007-03-15** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson
- **2007-03-20** Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Elaine Nekritz
- **2007-03-20** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson
- **2007-03-22** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Al Riley
- **2007-04-17** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Edward J. Acevedo
- **2007-04-19** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Bob Biggins
- **2007-04-30** Assigned to Elections & Campaign Reform Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-05-08** Do Pass / Short Debate Elections & Campaign Reform Committee; 006-000-003 `committee-passage`
- **2007-05-09** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-05-10** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert W. Pritchard
- **2007-05-10** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. LaShawn K. Ford
- **2007-05-10** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Sandra M. Pihos
- **2007-05-21** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2007-05-21** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Mike Fortner
- **2007-05-22** Alternate Co-Sponsor Removed Rep. Bob Biggins
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Eddie Washington
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Cynthia Soto
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Constance A. Howard
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah L. Graham
- **2007-05-22** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Esther Golar
- **2007-05-22** Removed from Short Debate Status
- **2007-05-22** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Extended Debate
- **2007-05-22** Third Reading - Extended Debate - Passed 078-037-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-05-22** Passed Both Houses
- **2007-06-20** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2007-08-17** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2007-08-17** Effective Date August 17, 2007
- **2007-08-17** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 95-0267 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e5e28ac2-f45c-49c9-a011-3bb3b77b47bc`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).