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* New York Times editorial…
Invoking Republicans’ phantom fear of voter fraud, Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bipartisan measure to make Illinois a pioneer in one of the truly innovative reforms of modern politics — the automatic registration of citizens as they conduct routine business at motor vehicle departments and other state agencies.
In the past 18 months, five states have approved this obvious boon for electoral democracy; others have it under consideration. The state sends proof of registration electronically to local election officials. Voters are thus spared the old bureaucratic paperwork maze and haphazard record-keeping that compounds delays on Election Day. Citizens are free to not register (and, of course, to not vote), but they cannot complain about opportunity denied.
More than 30 states have registration systems that require a voter to opt in at motor vehicle offices. That places the burden on voters. Automatic voter registration (A.V.R.) takes the process a step further, placing the responsibility on the state. As it is, the United States is one of the few democratic nations that place the registration burden on voters, leaving up to a third of eligible citizens unregistered. Canada’s automatic system has registered more than 90 percent of those eligible.
Had the Illinois measure gone forward, it would have added two million potential new voters to the rolls once it began in 2018. A more immediate effect would have been to update the registration of an estimated 700,000 voters in time for this November’s elections.
* Crain’s Chicago Business editorial…
The bill would have allowed state agencies to add people to the voter rolls as early as January 2018. But advocates who negotiated with the Rauner administration on potential changes to the bill told the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets that talks broke down in early August when Rauner’s team sought to push the start date to January 2019. Rauner, we should note, would be on the ballot for re-election in November 2018.
The governor says the bill created too many opportunities for what he called “inappropriate voting” and “inadvertent voter fraud,” and put the state in danger of violating federal voting laws. He unfurled a checklist of changes that he believes would make the bill more airtight.
The governor’s objections wobble under close scrutiny, however. On Capitol Fax, a political website of Crain’s contributor Rich Miller, Abe Scarr of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, which helped draft the original legislation, knocked down Rauner’s objections one by one, chiefly the worry that eligibility requirements would be inadequately enforced at the DMV and that potential voters would be registered regardless of their eligibility.
The bill’s supporters say they’ll pursue an override. They should.
* Bloomington Pantagraph editorial…
An alarming number of people are not registered to vote, or they choose not to cast a ballot. That means a relatively small number of people make the decisions that affect the rest of the state. Automatic registration also might help quell lines on Election Day, where same-day registration now is allowed.
The Lee bureau reported that Rauner said he would continue working with supporters to craft a proposal that “meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.”
There is time to get that work done before the fall veto session, and that should be the goal of the governor and the registration supporters.
In the meantime, lawmakers should consider overriding Rauner’s veto and then amending the legislative bill if problems do, in fact, arise.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:23 pm
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===Rauner’s team sought to push the start date to January 2019. Rauner, we should note, would be on the ballot for re-election in November 2018.===
The way this looks, fair or not, the timing scares Rauner more than the implementation… and implementing this with him on the ballot. Yikes.
I guess this is the new “much left-wing” Bloomington Pantagraph? That’s fun.
The time frame of this being implimented and what date Rauner wants in implimented… not the best look.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:29 pm
Voter fraud was investigated in Texas. Out of 20 million or so votes, only 2 cases.
Just as a point of reference, Donald Trump has been married more times than that.
In North Carolina the judge(s) took exception to the fact that the legislature did not strengthen ID requirements for absentee ballots…which are used mostly by the White Community.
So this is just a case of Bruce’s pretending he is Richard Milhous Nixon and his Southern Strategy.
Just another catastrophic failure of his administration.
Comment by Doug Simpson Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:29 pm
“Republicans’ phantom fear of voter fraud”
This isn’t just in Illiniis. This is a national problem.
Comment by Huh? Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:33 pm
But the fair and balanced NYT fails to mention the Dems refusal to allow the redistricting onto the ballot.
Comment by Sue Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:42 pm
Rauner’s veto is 100% political.
How many illegals even have a drivers licenses?
Comment by Mama Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:48 pm
Sue.
And they did not mention that the Cubs are in first place.
Comment by very old soil Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 2:51 pm
How many snowbirds vote in both places they have homes? Just sayin
Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:03 pm
In an earlier discussion, it seemed clear that the Governor’s people sat in meetings but did not help craft a better bill addressing his concerns. This makes the veto political.
On the reality of voter fraud. This is Illinois where we jail Governors, Aldermen, and Representatives on a regular basis. If votes have enough value, they will be created.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:07 pm
Sue, AVR doesn’t have anything to with redistricting. But then again, they don’t teach context or comprehension at the Raunerbot academy.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:16 pm
=But the fair and balanced NYT fails to mention the Dems refusal to allow the redistricting onto the ballot.=
So write an editorial demanding that anytime one issue is mentioned another, non-related issue, must also be addressed.
I am sure they will run your editorial.
In other news….. The NYT failed to mention anything about the Designated Hitter rule.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:17 pm
Our great reformer is only for reform that strengthens the GOP and diminishes the Dems. While the Dems play this game regarding redistricting, they also seek to expand access for more people to vote. Because the ever extremist nature of the GOP is limiting their voter base, they need to suppress voting access to maintain an overall advantage.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:34 pm
With all due respect, it is already EASY TO VOTE. Stop whining and complaining about the undue burden.
I did a quick google on Sangamon County and registering to vote. They list the following:
Sangamon County Clerks Office
Secretary of State’s DMV
State Board of Elections (online)
Mail in registration forms
GOP or Dem headquarters
State Agencies (5 listed)
A person can vote this year in person or my mail from Oct 12 to Nov 8.
It’s not hard.
Comment by 4 percent Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:34 pm
If we were only as determined to get ineligible voters off the rolls as we are determined at getting eligible voters on…
Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:35 pm
“…chiefly the worry that eligibility requirements would be inadequately enforced at the DMV and that potential voters would be registered regardless of their eligibility.”
I share this concern. What’s the factual basis– not just opinion– about why is it not valid?
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:45 pm
Just to chime in on the “it’s already easy to vote” argument, I think that viewpoint overlooks that thousands of new Americans that come to Illinois and contribute to our state. Many of these eligible voters face real language barriers to voting and often are busy running small businesses or working multiple jobs. Shouldn’t we want to remove barriers to voting? Isn’t that the real legacy of MLK and why would we want any barriers, other than ones to verify eligibility, to exist?
Comment by Veil of Ignorance Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 3:52 pm
If nothing else this will cause a huge number of duplicate registrations. Per DOJ, under HAVA, the state will be unable to purge any registrants for at least two and up to four years: “A State can only remove the name of a person from the voter registration list on grounds of change of residence upon: 1) the voter’s written first-hand confirmation of a change of address to a location outside of the registrar’s jurisdiction, or 2) reliable second-hand information indicating a change of address outside of the jurisdiction from a source such as the NCOA program, or a general mailing to all voters, plus the subsequent failure of the person to respond to a specific forwardable confirmation mailing sent by the State AND the failure of the person to vote or appear to vote during the period ending on the day after the second federal general election subsequent to the confirmation notice being sent” https://www.justice.gov/crt/national-voter-registration-act-1993-nvra
Comment by Put the Fun in unfunded Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 4:03 pm
What’s next? Registering convicted,imprisoned felons?
Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Aug 22, 16 @ 5:55 pm
I know that prison is supposed to be punishment, Bdd, but if prisoners are counted as residents for census purposes, why shouldn’t they be allowed to vote?
I realize this proposal might very well lead to more Dems holding public offices in downstate districts. Would that be the real basis for the Republican actions?
Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 8:46 am