1. (a) Any elector who is permanently physically disabled or suffering from a long-term illness and who files an application for an absentee ballot with a certification from a primary care provider, indicating that such elector is permanently physically disabled or suffering from a long-term illness and unable to appear in person at such elector's designated polling location, shall be eligible for permanent absentee ballot status and shall receive an absentee ballot for each election, primary or referendum conducted in such elector's municipality for which such elector is eligible to vote. Such elector's permanent absentee ballot status shall remain in effect until such elector:

   1. (1) Is removed from the official registry list of the municipality, (2) is removed from permanent absentee ballot status pursuant to the provisions of this section, or (3) requests that he or she no longer receive such permanent absentee ballot status.
2. (b) The registrars of voters shall send written notice to each such elector with permanent absentee ballot status in January of each year, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, for the purpose of determining if such elector continues to reside at the address indicated on the elector's permanent absentee ballot application. If such written notice is returned as undeliverable, the elector in question shall be removed from permanent absentee ballot status. If such elector indicates on such notice that the elector no longer resides at such address and the elector's new address is within the same municipality, the registrars of voters shall change the elector's address pursuant to section 9-35 and such elector shall retain permanent absentee ballot status. If the elector indicates on such notice that the elector no longer resides in the municipality, the registrars of voters shall remove such individual from the registry list of the municipality and send such individual an application for voter registration. Failure to return such written notice shall not result in the removal of an elector from the official registry list of the municipality or from permanent absentee ballot status.

(P.A. 11-173, S. 56; P.A. 12-57, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 103; P.A. 24-148, S. 16.)

History: P.A. 11-173 effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 12-57 amended Subsec. (a) by providing that an elector with permanent absentee ballot status receive an absentee ballot rather than an application and amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes, effective January 1, 2013; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to suffering from a long-term illness and amended Subsec. (b) to replace “thirty days” with “sixty days” in Subdiv. (2) and to add “or from permanent absentee ballot status” re prohibition against removal for failure to return written notice, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 24-148 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) designator and deleting former Subdiv. (2) re elector's failure to return notice to registrars not later than 60 days after such notice was sent to elector, effective June 6, 2024.