Legislation that would establish an automatic voter registration system in Illinois has been introduced by State Sen. Sue Rezin. Under Rezin’s proposal (Senate Bill 3452), a resident would automatically apply to register to vote as a part of that system when applying for or renewing a state driver’s license or state ID.
Unlike an alternative proposal at the capitol, Senate Bill 250 – which passed the Senate Nov. 16, Rezin’s alternative legislation ensures voter integrity. Senate Bill 3452 complies with federal law and requires that voter eligibility is verified before information is transferred to the State Board of Elections. Under Rezin’s proposal, individuals would have a clear opportunity to opt out of the registration application and would be required to attest by signature that they meet voter registration requirements.
“Automatic voter registration is a good thing for our democracy as it will get more people involved in choosing their government, but it must be done right,” Rezin said. “Unlike Senate Bill 250, my proposal balances the desire to make registering to vote much easier with the desire to ensure only eligible voters are being registered to vote.”
Rezin also points out her proposal is a better option than Senate Bill 250 because it requires the state to screen citizenship records before automatically registering an individual. Her proposal ensure the state doesn’t violate privacy laws regarding citizenship status by forcing agencies to share confidential information.
“Our democracy hinges upon honest elections,” Rezin said. “This proposal has more safeguard measures in place than Senate Bill 250, will prevent corruption in the system, and gives every eligible person the opportunity to register to vote, while protecting our elections from abuse.”