The General Assembly passed Public Act 96-1008, which makes a number of changes to the Election Code. These changes include accelerated deadlines for the submission of public questions to referendum. The most relevant referenda deadline changes are:

• Monday, August 2, 2010 (instead of Monday, August 16, 2010) is the last day to file to file petitions for referenda for questions of public policy. The deadline for the filing of referendum petitions has been changed from 78 days before the election to 92 days before the election.
  
  
• Monday, August 9, 2010 (instead of Monday, August 23, 2010) is the last day to object to petitions for questions of public policy.
            
  
• Monday, August 16, 2010 (instead of Monday, August 30, 2010) is the last day for the corporate authorities to adopt a resolution or ordinance to allow binding or advisory questions on the ballot. The deadline for governing bodies to legislatively place a referendum on the ballot has been changed from 65 days before the election to 79 days before the election.