How is ‘business entity’ defined in Public Act 95-971?
Business entity is defined in 30 ILCS 500/50-37 as any entity doing business for profit, whether organized as a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, limited liability company or partnership, or otherwise.

Is my business required to register with the Board as a business entity?
Pursuant to Public Act 95-971, effective January 1, 2009, any business entity meeting the above definition, whose existing State contracts, or whose bids or proposals on State contracts exceed $50,000, must electronically register with the State Board of Elections. For questions regarding who is required to register and what is to be reported on the Registration Form, please review Public Act 95-971, the Board rules and regulations, and the Fact Sheet currently posted on the Illinois Procurement Bulletin at http://purchase.state.il.us. For further guidance, please contact the legal counsel for your business entity or refer to the Act and the Administrative Rules found on this site, to assist you in making that determination.

Can I register by mail or e-mail?
No. Illinois law requires all businesses to register electronically. Any registration information received by mail or e-mail will not be processed.

What if I already registered my business by mail or e-mail?
All businesses that have registered previously by mail or e-mail must re-register electronically by September 30, 2009. This includes those that are no longer required to update their registrations; for example, a business which registered and bid on a contract valued at more than $50,000 during the first seven months of 2009, but which was not awarded the contract, still must re-register electronically. This is necessary to ensure a complete record of all businesses which have registered since the law became effective on January 1, 2009.

Are there any costs for businesses?
The State Board of Elections does not charge any fees for registration services. Businesses do, of course, incur costs for the time and resources required to provide and maintain registration information.

Is help available?
Help is available throughout the website by clicking the Help menu option or by clicking on the “?” icon next to the item of interest. In addition, help is available via e-mail or telephone during normal business hours.

Is there an alternative to typing in my data one affiliated person at a time?
Yes, for businesses with access to information technology expertise, data may be submitted in an XML file. Click here for detailed instructions.

When can I enter my data, make changes, or produce a certificate?
The site is continuously available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Once my business has registered, how long must I continue to report changes?
Illinois law requires that businesses submitting a bid must continue to update from the date of registration to the date after the contract is awarded; changes must be reported within 2 business days. Businesses with contracts must continue to update for the duration of the term of office of the incumbent officeholder awarding the contract or for a period of 2 years following the expiration or termination of the contract, whichever is longer; changes must be reported within 10 days unless there is a pending bid.

What must I do after I register my business?
A copy of the registration certificate must accompany any bid. A copy must also be provided within 10 days after registration to each affiliated entity or affiliated person. The business must also notify any political committee to which it makes a contribution, at the time of the contribution, that it is registered. Any affiliated entity or affiliated person must also tell a political committee that it is affiliated with a registered business entity.

How long does it take to get a certificate?
Certificates are available on-line in .pdf format as soon as registration is complete. There is no limit to the number of copies.

Is my business information entered in this website confidential?
No. Information about the business, affiliated persons, and affiliated organizations/entities is available in searchable form on the Board’s public website. There are three exceptions: 1) FEIN, tax ID, and social security number are for verification purposes only and are not disclosed; 2) account names and passwords are private to the registrant and are confidential; and 3) the law prohibits the display of the names of minors in this system on the public website.

How can I look up information on other businesses registered in this program?
Information about registered businesses is available in the Board’s public website at http://www.elections.il.gov/BusinessRegistration.  (Available September 2009)

What happens if I try to register and my business name and/or number can’t be verified with the Illinois Department of Revenue?
Look at the information you provided when you registered with Revenue and make sure the name and number are appearing exactly like they did at that time. If that does not work, you may contact 217-782-4141 for assistance.

If my company is a sole proprietorship and I registered with Revenue using my Social Security Number, will that number be sufficient to register as a Business Entity?
Yes, if you have registered with Revenue using your Social Security number, you may use that when registering with the Board. In addition, you will need to provide your last name.

What if my business does not have an FEIN, an IBT, or a social security number?
Please contact the Board at 217-782-4141 for assistance. Documentation will need to be submitted to verify that a business exists. Open and activate an account PRIOR to contacting the Board.

What happens if I create an account, but do not activate it by clicking on the link in the e-mail I receive?
If your account is not activated within 72 hours, it will be deleted and you will need to recreate your account.

What happens if I create an account, activate it by clicking on the link in the e-mail I receive, but then fail to enter a business?
If you do not add a business entity within 72 hours, the account will be deleted and you will need to recreate your account.

What if I plan to register for more than one business?
Only one business can be entered per account. In addition, when creating a user account, the ‘user name’ and the ‘e-mail address’ of the user must be unique. You cannot use the same ‘user name’ or the same ‘e-mail address’ on more than one account.

What if I don’t get the verification e-mail after I create my account?
Check to see if it may have been interpreted as SPAM, and as a result, was filtered out to a different location. If you are unable to locate it, please contact the Board. The e-mail address can be checked to make sure it is correct and another Activate e-mail may be sent.