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* AP…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a measure Monday allowing automatic voter registration in Illinois, a move that comes a year after he rejected a similar measure over concerns about voter fraud.
Illinois joins more than half a dozen other states with some form of automatic voter registration, which proponents say boosts civic participation.
“This is good bipartisan legislation and it addresses the fundamental fact that the right to vote is foundational for the rights of Americans in our Democracy,” Rauner said at a Chicago bill signing ceremony attended by supporters. “We as a people need to do everything we can to knock down barriers, remove hurdles for all those who are eligible to vote, to be able to vote.”
* From a press release…
SB 1933 reforms current registration laws so that whenever an eligible Illinois citizen applies for, updates, or renews a driver’s license or state ID, he or she will be automatically registered to vote at their new address, unless they choose to opt out. AVR creates a similar program for other state agencies, which will make it the farthest reaching automatic voter registration law in the country. In May, the legislation passed both the House and the Senate in unanimous, bipartisan fashion: 115-0 and 55-0, respectively.
“With the Governor’s signing of automatic voter registration, Illinois has solidified its status as a national leader in expanding voting rights and ballot access,” said Andy Kang, Legal Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago. “Over two years, the Just Democracy Illinois coalition has worked across the aisle to gain support for AVR, a model that can now be duplicated in other states fighting to modernizing their voter registration system.” […]
The bill passed in 2017 after two amendments were adopted into the language, including changes to align automatic voter registration with the implementation of REAL ID at the office of the Secretary of State, and adding two agencies to the program: the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. REAL ID is a federal program that tightens standards for state identification documents, expected to be implemented in Illinois in 2018.
* The bill was sponsored by Sen. Andy Manar, who has had his share of go-arounds with Gov. Rauner on education funding reform. Both were at today’s bill signing ceremony…
"This effort by grassroots organizations like @justdemocracyIL is democracy in motion" @AndyManar #AVRinIL #twill pic.twitter.com/2rSy8BNKge
— Common Cause IL (@CommonCauseIL) August 28, 2017
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:01 am
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Here’s hoping that the DMV and other state agencies forward the voter registration info to the counties and other boards of election in a timely fashion. As an election judge, I have had to call the county clerk to verify a voter who registered with the DMV. The county has said that they were getting the info the Friday before the election on Tuesday. There was no time to update all the laptops used for voter check-in at the precincts. Now, there will be more agencies doing the registration. The state is spending $$$ to improve computers and technology so hope that they include voter information in that.
Comment by Nearly Normal Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:13 am
This photo makes for a good caption contest. A “Where’s Waldo” or whack a mole contest too.
“Among a friendly support base, local Democrats convened to discuss another way Michael Madigan’s control over the state party can continue for at least, God willing, another 10 years.”
Comment by Deft Wing Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:16 am
Adding more data into the system is going to cause problems unless there is a mechanism to scrub the data and eliminate duplication. E.g., if the person uses middle initial in one place and middle name in another, you’ll end up with two registrations. With HAVA it is very hard and time consuming to clean the rolls even if you have two registrations with the same birthdate and substantially the same name.
Comment by Put the fun in unfunded Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:31 am
Shoutout to the guy in the company t-shirt—a classy look. I’m sure he’s a real team player.
Comment by is that vintage? Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:47 am
So this legislation requiring ID to participate in the so-called AVR, is celebrated by progressive groups. Yet these similar groups routinely vilified Voter ID legislation ( look at Texas appeals court today ) as discriminatory.
Comment by Texas Red Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:56 am
=== legislation requiring ID to participate in the so-called AVR, is celebrated===
Um, have you ever registered to vote? You’re required to show proof of residence when you register. How is this different?
Sheesh, stop grasping at stupid hyperpartisan straws.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 12:18 pm
- Texas Red - Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 11:56 am
Some sort of ID has always been required in Illinois - to register.
ID has never been required in Illinois - to vote.
Comment by titan Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 12:39 pm
It is my understanding there are some measures in the bill to permit to identify duplicate registrations and address changes for existing registrations, surprised that wasn’t a talking point for the Governor to satisfy the far right.
Comment by Swift Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 1:25 pm
+++ - Swift - Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
It is my understanding there are some measures in the bill to permit to identify duplicate registrations and address changes for existing registrations, surprised that wasn’t a talking point for the Governor to satisfy the far right. +++
That has been going on for years. It isn’t new. The long standing practice will simply also be applied to AVR as well.
Comment by titan Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 1:37 pm
There is room for improvement in managing the registry of Illinois voters. For example, why is it that individuals who are legally adjudicated as incompetent in the probate courts (after being examined by two physicians and a lengthy court process) are not immediately referred to the election authorities for removal from the polling lists? I have dealt with seniors who wound up in residential nursing homes with Alzheimer’s and continued to appear on poll sheets and constantly received political mail for years.
Comment by Walter Concrete Monday, Aug 28, 17 @ 2:09 pm