Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1274 amends the Election Code to delete the requirement that a person who circulates a petition in connection with a candidate's application for a place on the ballot point out and read to the petition signer certain statements on the petition before permitting the person to sign and to delete the provision for an affidavit verifying that the requirement was met.

Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill No. 1274 would repeal the requirement that persons gathering signatures on petitions to place candidates on the ballot inform the signer of provisions which affect the signer. However, there are some very specific consequences to signing a candidate's petition, and it therefore is in the public interest to make sure that the public understands what they are signing. For example, a voter who signs a petition for a one party's candidate for public office becomes ineligible to vote in any other party's primary. This is a serious ramification which restricts the voter's right to choose the primary in which he or she wishes to participate, and it is important that the voter have that information when deciding whether to sign the petition."