---
type: "Bill"
title: "ELECTIONS-ABSENTEE VOTING"
description: "Amends the Election Code. Permits a person to request and vote an absentee ballot without specifying a reason for the absence from the polling place on election day. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "96th"
identifier: "SB 2022"
citation: "Illinois SB 2022 (96th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 33
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2009-02-20"
last_action: "2009-08-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/39ed441a-8594-48ce-b8ae-daf75e08c17e"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2022&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=44934&SessionID=76&GA=96"
source_hash: "5ea5d702e31052576c1605769542e4f7fc47b161f6477ee03d626fca5c6c705a"
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 2022 (96th) — ELECTIONS-ABSENTEE VOTING

Amends the Election Code. Permits a person to request and vote an absentee ballot without specifying a reason for the absence from the polling place on election day. 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=09600SB2022&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=44934&DocNum=2022&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB2022eng&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=44934&DocNum=2022&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB2022enr&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=44934&DocNum=2022&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **59–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **69–48** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Michael W. Frerichs — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2009-02-20** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Michael W. Frerichs `filing`
- **2009-02-20** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-02-20** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2009-03-04** Assigned to Elections `referral-committee`
- **2009-03-11** Do Pass Elections; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2009-03-11** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 12, 2009
- **2009-03-24** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2009-03-24** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 25, 2009
- **2009-03-25** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Michael W. Frerichs `amendment-introduction`
- **2009-03-25** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2009-03-30** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Elections
- **2009-03-31** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommend Do Adopt Elections; 005-000-000
- **2009-04-01** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2009-04-01** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Frerichs `amendment-passage`
- **2009-04-01** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
- **2009-04-01** Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2009-04-01** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2009-04-01** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-04-02** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson
- **2009-04-02** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2009-04-02** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2009-04-20** Assigned to Elections & Campaign Reform Committee `referral-committee`
- **2009-05-05** Do Pass / Short Debate Elections & Campaign Reform Committee; 006-003-000 `committee-passage`
- **2009-05-05** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2009-05-06** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mike Boland
- **2009-05-18** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2009-05-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2009-05-20** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 069-048-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2009-05-20** Passed Both Houses
- **2009-06-18** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2009-08-17** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2009-08-17** Effective Date August 17, 2009
- **2009-08-17** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0553 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/39ed441a-8594-48ce-b8ae-daf75e08c17e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).