Andrade Urges Rauner to Sign Automatic Voter Registration Legislation

CHICAGO – Continuing his efforts to fight for more inclusive voter registration laws, state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, is urging Governor Rauner to sign legislation allowing Illinois residents to automatically register to vote when they renew their driver’s license.

“Our communities are served best through greater inclusion and accessibility to the voting process,” Andrade said. “Getting more residents registered to vote in our community helps ensure the families, schools and safety of our neighborhoods take priority, not special or corporate interests.

The Andrade-backed Senate Bill 1933 would allow the state to automatically register eligible voters while they are applying for, updating or renewing driver’s licenses or state IDs with the Secretary of State and other designated agencies. The voter registration information would be sent electronically to the relevant election authority. Illinoisans who do not wish to register would have the opportunity to opt out.

Currently, the state’s voter registration process operates on an opt-in system, in which citizens can register online or by providing paperwork in person or by mail. Advocates for the bill point out other states that have implemented automatic voter registration have seen savings over time by streamlining outdated methods of registration. While Andrade’s measure seeks to provide cost-savings down the road, the larger goal is to provide voters with more reasons to engage with their government and increase their influence on the process.

“With voting rights under unprecedented attack by Donald Trump and his extreme right-wing allies in Washington, it’s essential that Illinois works proactively to fight for more inclusion in our democracy,” Andrade said. “I urge Governor Rauner to stand up to the extreme-right and sign this bipartisan proposal that rejects the exclusionary voter registration practices of the Trump administration.”