The Secretary of State’s Office implements the first part of Illinois’ landmark automatic voter registration (AVR) law on Monday, July 2. Eligible Illinoisans will now be able to register to vote on-the-spot when they visit Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the state. Automatic voter registration, which the Illinois General Assembly approved unanimously in 2017, modernizes and simplifies the registration process for voters who go into the DMV to update their license or state ID, and provides opportunities to register new voters more than ever before.
The steering committee of the Just Democracy Illinois, a coalition of voting rights advocacy organizations, issued the following statement about today’s implementation:
“With automatic voter registration, we’re finally modernizing and securing the electoral process for all eligible voters in Illinois. While other states are moving backwards, creating unnecessary barriers and hurdles to the ballot box, now more than ever Illinoisans will be able to have up-to-date registration that will save time and hassle before they go vote. Still, there is more to be done to complete the process of implementing automatic voter registration in Illinois. All voters should still make sure their registration is up to date ahead of the November general election.”
Now, when an Illinois resident goes to the DMV, their name will be checked against the state’s voter rolls to see if their registration is up-to-date. If their name is not on the file or their information is inaccurate, the DMV will ask eligible voters if they would like to register at their current address and will electronically update the voter’s registration on the spot.
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