Certificate of discharge

(a) If the sentence was in this State, the order, certificate, or other instrument of discharge, given to a person sentenced for a felony upon the person's discharge after completion of service of the person's sentence or after service under probation or parole, shall state that the defendant's rights to vote and to hold any future public office, of which the defendant was deprived by this chapter, are thereby restored and that the defendant suffers no other disability by virtue of the defendant's conviction and sentence except as otherwise provided by this chapter. A copy of the order or other instrument of discharge shall be filed with the clerk of the court of conviction. (b) If the sentence was in another state or in a federal court and the convicted person has similarly been discharged by the appropriate authorities, the director of social services of this State, upon application and proof of the discharge in such form as the director of social services may require, shall issue a certificate stating that such rights have been restored to the convicted person under the laws of this State. (c) If another state having an act similar to this chapter issues its certificate of discharge to a convicted person stating that the defendant's rights have been restored, the rights of which the defendant was deprived in this State under this chapter are restored to the defendant in this State.