§ 3-104. State board of elections; enforcement powers.\n 1. (a) There shall be a unit known as the division of election law\nenforcement established within the state board of elections. The head of\nsuch unit shall be the chief enforcement counsel.\n (b) The state board of elections shall have jurisdiction of, and be\nresponsible for, the execution and enforcement of the provisions of\narticle fourteen of this chapter and other statutes governing campaigns,\nelections and related procedures; provided however that the chief\nenforcement counsel shall have sole authority within the state board of\nelections to investigate on his or her own initiative or upon complaint\nalleged violations of such statutes and all complaints alleging\nviolations shall be forwarded to the division of election law\nenforcement.\n 2. (a) Whenever a local board of elections shall determine, on its own\ninitiative or upon complaint, or otherwise, that there is substantial\nreason to believe a violation of this chapter or any code or regulation\npromulgated thereunder has been committed by a candidate or political\ncommittee or other person or entity that files statements required by\narticle fourteen of this chapter solely with such local board, it shall\nexpeditiously make an investigation which shall also include\ninvestigation of reports and statements made or failed to be made by the\ncomplainant and any political committee supporting his candidacy if the\ncomplainant is a candidate or, if the complaint was made by an officer\nor member of a political committee, of reports and statements made or\nfailed to be made by such political committee and any candidates\nsupported by it. The local board shall report the results of its\ninvestigation to the division of election law enforcement chief\nenforcement counsel within ninety days of the start of such\ninvestigation. The chief enforcement counsel may direct the local board\nof elections at any time to suspend its investigation so that the\ndivision of election law enforcement can investigate the matter.\n (b) The chief enforcement counsel may request, and shall receive, the\nassistance of the state police in any investigation it shall conduct.\n 3. Upon receipt of a complaint and supporting information alleging any\nviolation of this chapter, or upon his or her own initiative, the chief\nenforcement counsel shall determine if an investigation should be\nundertaken. The chief enforcement counsel shall, if necessary, obtain\nadditional information from the complainant or from other sources to\nassist such counsel in making this determination. Such analysis shall\ninclude the following: first, whether the allegations, if true, would\nconstitute a violation of this chapter and, second, whether the\nallegations are supported by credible evidence. The chief enforcement\ncounsel may at any time ask that the board authorize him or her to\nexercise the powers which the board is otherwise authorized to exercise\npursuant to subdivisions five and six of section 3-102 of this title.\nThe board shall vote on whether to grant or refuse to grant such\nauthority no later than twenty days after the chief enforcement counsel\nmakes such request. For purposes of considering and voting on such\nrequest, the chief enforcement counsel shall be entitled to participate\nin all matters related thereto and shall vote on the board's granting or\nrefusal to grant such request only when there is a tie. Should the board\nnot vote on such request within twenty days of its submission, or grant\nthe chief enforcement counsel's request, the chief enforcement counsel\nshall be so empowered to act pursuant to subdivisions five and six of\nsection 3-102 of this title.\n 4. If the chief enforcement counsel determines that the allegations,\nif true, would not constitute a violation of this chapter or that the\nallegations are not supported by credible evidence, he or she shall\nissue a letter forthwith to the complainant dismissing t
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