10 ILCS 5/16-3
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 10 - ELECTIONS|10 ILCS 5/ - Election Code.|Article 16 - Ballots

 (from Ch. 46, par. 16-3)Sec. 16-3. (a) The names of all candidates to be voted for in each  election district or precinct shall be printed on one ballot, except as  is provided in Sections 16-6.1 and 21-1.01 of this Act and except as otherwise  provided in this Act with respect to the odd year regular elections and  the emergency referenda; all nominations  of any political party being placed under the party appellation or title  of such party as designated in the certificates of nomination or  petitions. The names of all independent candidates shall be printed upon  the ballot in a column or columns under the heading "independent"  arranged under the names or titles of the respective offices for which  such independent candidates shall have been nominated and so far as  practicable, the name or names of any independent candidate or  candidates for any office shall be printed upon the ballot opposite the  name or names of any candidate or candidates for the same office  contained in any party column or columns upon said ballot. The ballot  shall contain no other names, except that in cases of electors for  President and Vice-President of the United States, the names of the  candidates for President and Vice-President may be added to the party  designation and words calculated to aid the voter in his choice of candidates  may be added, such as "Vote for one," "Vote for not more than three." If no candidate or candidates  file for an office and if no person or persons file a declaration as a write-in candidate for that office, then below the title of that office the election authority instead shall print "No Candidate". When an electronic  voting system is used which utilizes a ballot label booklet, the candidates  and questions shall appear on the pages of such booklet in the order  provided by this Code; and, in any case where candidates for an office  appear on a page which does not contain the name of any candidate for  another office, and where less than 50% of the page is utilized, the name of  no candidate shall be printed on the lowest 25% of such page. On the back or  outside of the ballot, so as to appear when folded, shall be printed the words  "Official Ballot", followed by the designation of the polling place for  which the ballot is prepared, the date of the election and a facsimile  of the signature of the election authority who has caused the ballots to  be printed. The ballots shall be of plain white paper, through which the  printing or writing cannot be read. However, ballots for use at the  nonpartisan and consolidated elections may be printed on different color  paper, except blue paper, whenever necessary or desirable to facilitate  distinguishing between ballots for different political subdivisions. In  the case of nonpartisan elections for officers of a political  subdivision, unless the statute or an ordinance adopted pursuant to  Article VII of the Constitution providing the form of government  therefor requires otherwise, the column listing such nonpartisan  candidates shall be printed with no appellation or circle at its head.  The party appellation or title, or the word "independent" at the head of  any column provided for independent candidates, shall be printed in letters not less than one-fourth of an inch in height  and a  circle one-half inch in diameter shall be printed at the beginning of  the line in which such appellation or title is printed, provided,  however, that no such circle shall be printed at the head of any column  or columns provided for such independent candidates. The names of  candidates shall be printed in letters not less than one-eighth  nor more than one-fourth of an inch in height, and at the beginning of  each line in which a name of a candidate is printed a square shall be  printed, the sides of which shall be not less than one-fourth of an inch  in length. However, the names of the candidates for Governor and  Lieutenant Governor on the same ticket shall be printed within a bracket  and a single square shall be printed in front of the bracket. The list  of candidates of the several parties and any such list of independent  candidates shall be placed in separate columns on the ballot in such  order as the election authorities charged with the printing of the  ballots shall decide; provided, that the names of the candidates of the  several political parties, certified by the State Board of Elections to  the several county clerks shall be printed by the county clerk of the  proper county on the official ballot in the order certified by the State  Board of Elections. Any county clerk refusing, neglecting or failing to  print on the official ballot the names of candidates of the several  political parties in the order certified by the State Board of  Elections, and any county clerk who prints or causes to be printed upon  the official ballot the name of a candidate, for an office to be filled  by the Electors of the entire State, whose name has not been duly  certified to him upon a certificate signed by the State Board of  Elections shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.(b) When an electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot  card,  on the inside flap of each ballot card envelope there shall be printed  a form for write-in voting which shall be substantially as follows:  WRITE-IN VOTES(See card of instructions for specific information. Duplicate form below  by hand for additional write-in votes.)  _____________________________Title of Office(   )  ____________________________Name of CandidateWrite-in lines equal to  the number of candidates for which a voter may vote shall be printed for an office only if one or more persons filed declarations of intent to be write-in candidates or qualify to file declarations to be write-in candidates under Sections 17-16.1 and 18-9.1 when the certification of ballot contains the words "OBJECTION PENDING".(c) When an electronic voting system is used which uses a ballot sheet,  the  instructions to voters on the ballot sheet shall refer the voter to the  card of instructions for specific information on write-in voting. Below  each office appearing on such ballot sheet there shall be a provision for  the casting of a write-in vote. Write-in lines equal to  the number of candidates for which a voter may vote shall be printed for an office only if one or more persons filed declarations of intent to be write-in candidates or qualify to file declarations to be write-in candidates under Sections 17-16.1 and 18-9.1 when the certification of ballot contains the words "OBJECTION PENDING".(d) When such electronic system is used, there shall be printed on the  back of each ballot card, each ballot card envelope, and  the first page of the ballot label when a ballot label is used, the  words "Official Ballot," followed by the number of the  precinct or other precinct identification, which may be stamped, in lieu  thereof and, as applicable, the number and name of the township, ward  or other election district for which the ballot card, ballot card  envelope, and ballot label are prepared, the date of the election and a  facsimile of the signature of the election authority who has caused the  ballots to be printed.  The back of the ballot card shall also include  a method of identifying the ballot configuration such as a listing of the  political subdivisions and districts for which votes may be cast on that  ballot, or a number code identifying the ballot configuration or color coded  ballots, except that where there is only one ballot configuration in a  precinct, the precinct identification, and any applicable ward  identification, shall be sufficient.  Ballot card envelopes used in punch  card systems shall be of paper through which no writing or punches may be  discerned and shall be of sufficient length to enclose all voting  positions.  However, the election authority may provide  ballot card envelopes on which no precinct number or township, ward or  other election district designation, or election date are preprinted, if  space and a preprinted form are provided below the space provided for  the names of write-in candidates where such information may be entered  by the judges of election.  Whenever an election authority utilizes  ballot card envelopes on which the election date and precinct is not  preprinted, a judge of election shall mark such information for the  particular precinct and election on the envelope in ink before tallying  and counting any write-in vote written thereon.  If some method of insuring ballot secrecy other than an envelope is used,  such information must be provided on the ballot itself.(e) In the designation of the name of a candidate on the ballot, the  candidate's given name or names, initial or initials, a nickname by  which the candidate is commonly known, or a combination thereof, may be  used in addition to the candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the last day for filing the petition for nomination, nomination papers, or certificate of nomination for that office, whichever is applicable, then (i) the candidate's name on the ballot must be followed by "formerly known as (list all prior names during the 3-year period) until name changed on (list date of each such name change)" and (ii) the petition, papers, or certificate must be accompanied by the candidate's affidavit stating the candidate's previous names during the period specified in (i) and the date or dates each of those names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for the ballot or removing the candidate's name from the ballot, as appropriate, but these requirements do not apply to name changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's or parents' surname, marriage or civil union to assume a spouse's surname, or dissolution of marriage or civil union or declaration of invalidity of marriage or civil union to assume a former surname or a name change that conforms the candidate's name to his or her gender identity. No other designation such  as a political slogan, title, or degree or nickname suggesting or  implying possession of a  title, degree or professional status, or similar information may be used  in connection with the candidate's surname.  For purposes of this Section, a "political slogan" is defined as any  word or words expressing or connoting a position, opinion, or belief that the  candidate may espouse, including but not limited to, any word or words  conveying any meaning other than that of the personal identity of the  candidate. A  candidate may not use a political slogan as part of his or her name on the  ballot, notwithstanding that the political slogan may be part of the  candidate's name.(f) The State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an  election  authority shall remove any candidate's name designation from a ballot that is  inconsistent with subsection (e) of this Section. In addition, the State Board  of Elections, a local election official, or an election authority shall not  certify to any election authority any candidate name designation that is  inconsistent with subsection (e) of this Section.(g) If the State Board of Elections, a local election official, or an  election  authority removes a candidate's name designation from a ballot under  subsection (f) of this Section, then the aggrieved candidate may seek  appropriate relief in circuit court.Where voting machines or electronic voting systems are used, the  provisions of this Section may be modified as required or authorized by  Article 24 or Article 24A, whichever is applicable.Nothing in this Section shall prohibit election authorities from using  or reusing ballot card envelopes which were printed before the effective  date of this amendatory Act of 1985.  (Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)