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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