Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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10 ILCS 5/17-15

(10 ILCS 5/17-15) (from Ch. 46, par. 17-15)

Sec. 17-15.

(a) Any person entitled to vote at a general or special election or
at any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in
this State, shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent
himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or
employed, for a period of 2 hours between the time of opening and closing
the polls; and such voter shall not because of so absenting himself be
liable to any penalty; Provided, however, that application for such leave
of absence shall be made prior to the day of election. The employer may
specify the hours during which said employee may absent himself as
aforesaid, except that the employer must permit a 2-hour absence during working hours if the employee's working hours begin less than 2 hours after the opening of the polls and end less than 2 hours before the closing of the polls. No person or corporation shall refuse to an employee the
privilege hereby conferred, nor shall subject an employee to a penalty, including a reduction in compensation due to an absence under this Section,
because of the exercise of such privilege, nor shall directly or indirectly
violate the provisions of this Section.

(b) Beginning the 15th day before a general or special election or any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in
this State or on the day of a general or special election or any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in
this State, any student entitled to vote at such election shall be entitled to be absent from school for a period of 2 hours during the school day in order to vote. The school may specify the hours during which the eligible student may be absent.
A student who is absent from school under this subsection (b) is not considered absent for the purpose of calculating enrollment under Section 18-8.15 of the School Code.

(Source: P.A. 101-624, eff. 6-1-20.)