Ill. Admin. Code tit. 80 § 1540.330
In accordance with the Illinois Pension Code, an election for 2 trustees, one contributing member with at least 8 years of creditable service and one annuitant who has been an annuitant for at least one full year, will be held every 5 years beginning in 1986 and an election for 4 trustees, three contributing members with at least 8 years of creditable service and one annuitant who has been an annuitant for at least one full year, will be held every 5 years beginning in 2009.
For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
"Annuitant" - Any annuitant, as defined in Section 14-103.07 of the Code.
"Annuitant who has been an annuitant for at least one full year" means an annuitant who has received at least 12 monthly installments of their retirement annuity on or before the date upon which the annuitant is sworn into office as a trustee.
"Code" means the Illinois Pension Code [40 ILCS 5].
"Contributing member " - Any member of the System, as defined in Section 14-103.06 of the Code who is currently contributing to the System.
"Contributing member with at least 8 years of creditable service" - Any contributing member who, on or before the date upon which they are sworn into office as a trustee, has obtained at least 8 years of creditable service, as defined in Section 14-103.15 of the Code.
Qualified persons for the position of Contributing Member Trustee or Annuitant Trustee shall file a Statement of Candidacy and a trustee petition on a form prescribed by the Board, in accordance with the Code. Petitions shall be signed by not fewer than 400 contributing members for a Contributing Member Trustee candidate and by not fewer than 100 annuitants for an Annuitant Trustee candidate and indicate the addresses of the signators opposite their names. Nominating petitions shall be circulated and certified only by contributing members or annuitants for each respective trustee candidate. Forms shall be secured from the Executive Secretary and filed in accordance with the Calendar (see subsections (f) and (i)). Trustee petitions and the Statement of Candidacy must be filed at the System's Springfield office, 2101 South Veterans Parkway, Springfield, Illinois, in person or by mail during the office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
All petitions filed on or before the first day for filing shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in the order of actual receipt. Where 2 or more petitions are received simultaneously for the same office, the State Employees' Retirement Board, with whom petitions are filed, shall break ties and determine the order of filing, by means of a lottery.
The Board of Trustees of the System shall review and rule on all written petitions filed objecting to any candidate's qualifications as outlined in Section 14-134 of the Code. Petitions objecting shall be made in accordance with 80 Ill. Adm. Code 1540.270(d)(3). Nomination papers shall be deemed valid unless objections are received by the System in writing within 5 days after the last day for filing nomination papers. Not later than 12:00 noon on the next business day, after receipt of the objector's petition, the Executive Secretary shall deliver or transmit the nomination papers and original objector's petition to the Chairman of the Board and a copy of the objector's petition to the candidate whose nomination papers are the subject of the objection. Not later than 12:00 noon on the second business day after receipt of the objector's petition, the Chairman of the Board shall call for a meeting to consider the petition by giving notice to each of the members of the Board, the objector and candidate. The meeting of the Board shall not be less than 3 nor more than 5 days after receipt of objector's petition by the Chairman of the Board.
After the Executive Secretary has certified the candidates, separate ballots shall be prepared for the Contributing Member Trustee and for the Annuitant Trustee. Candidate position shall be in the order that the petitions are filed, or as determined by the lottery. Ballots will be mailed on election day to all qualified Contributing Members and Annuitants. All ballots must be returned, sealed in the envelope provided, so as to be received by May 30 of the election year. In order to be eligible to vote, a contributing member must make contributions during the first payroll period in March of the election year. In order to be eligible to vote, an annuitant must receive a retirement annuity for March of each election year.
Upon receiving the official voted ballots, they shall be secured in a locked location until the canvassing begins.
The special election to be held in 2009 to fill the 4 new elected trustee positions shall be subject to the same procedures outlined in this Section, except as may need to be modified to comply with the following calendar for the special election:
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 80, § 1540.330
Amended at 34 Ill. Reg. 285, effective December 15, 2009