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League of Women Voters of Illinois®

A nonpartisan political organization, dedicated to Making Democracy Work, through voter education, issue advocacy, and citizen participation.
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State Election Laws

Position in Brief:

The League supports uniform election laws and procedures throughout the state to ensure the integrity of the electoral system. The League opposes term limits for members of the General Assembly.

The League believes that a good election system should provide stability and continuity of governance and should produce a legislature that addresses the problems of society effectively. It should be resistant to both outright fraud and other forms of political manipulation.

The League supports election reforms that increase voter participation and protect the votes of eligible citizens. The League opposes measures that undermine or raise barriers to participation by eligible voters.

Full Statement of Where We Stand on State Election Laws

League Activity/Outlook:

For more than ten years, Illinois election laws and issues relating to voter registration and the administration of elections have been high priorities on the Illinois League's program agenda. After Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) in 1993, the Illinois League worked for implementation of NVRA in the state. In 1995, when Illinois failed to comply with NVRA's requirements, LWVIL and others filed suit against the state. After more than 18 months of litigation, the state ceased its objections, agreed to eliminate the two-tier registration system it had put in place, and began to implement NVRA's requirements.

An Election Administration Reform committee was created in 2001 in response to the perceived problems surrounding the November 2000 election. Among the issues that the committee examined were the following: the use of students as election judges, polling place accessibility, voting equipment, limitations on the issuance of poll watching credentials, recruitment and training of election judges, voting rights for detainees, and the development of a statewide voter registration database.

When Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, the Election Administration Reform committee began monitoring HAVA implementation in Illinois. They studied the legislation, refiewed the Illinois HAVA plan, and followed the implementing legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Illinois is experiencing many changes relating to elections and their administration through altered rules for depty registrars, the introduction of grace period voter registration and early voting, the use of provisional ballots, new rules for absentee voting, and the widespread use of new voting equipment. Numerous problems have been identified in recent elections, and election officials have been working to correct them. The League will continue to monitor the effects of these rules and procedures.

LWVUS Public Advocacy for Voter Protection Project

The League of Women Voters Education Fund’s (LWVEF) Public Advocacy for Voter Protection Project has been created to prevent the disenfranchisement of eligible citizens, particularly underserved populations. To make sure all eligible voters are heard on Election Day, the LWVUS has adopted five core areas of election administration reform:

  • Opposing ID and documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements.
  • Enhancing administration of statewide voter registration databases and guarding against wrongful or incorrect purging.
  • Protecting voters against unnecessary restrictions on voter registration.
  • Improving poll worker recruitment, training and supervision.
  • Strengthening polling place management and ballot design.
Additional Resources:
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