Take Action: Support the Illinois Voting Rights Act
5/7/26
Our country and our democracy is stronger when everyone has an equal opportunity to vote. The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 (SB3170) will streamline and strengthen protections that are no longer guaranteed at the federal level and ensure voting rights for Black, Brown, and Asian American voters and voters whose first language is not English.
Why we need the ILVRA
Our hard-won civil rights that we fought for generations for are being eroded. Illinois has the opportunity to take control of protecting the right to vote by codifying and strengthening the core protections of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 into state law. As federal courts weaken or narrow the federal VRA, states must step in to make sure voters are not left vulnerable to discrimination or exclusion.
Several other states (California, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, New York, and Connecticut) have all passed their own state voting rights acts to guarantee protections for voters in those states.
Federal voting rights cases are often lengthy and expensive for all parties, requiring years of litigation before relief is granted. A state framework can create cost effective and streamlined litigation strategies for cases brought in state courts.
Current state of inequities in IL
Illinois continues to grapple with disparities in its electoral processes that affect all voters. These disparities impact communities of color the most and can lead to gaps in voter turnout and situations where eligible voters are prevented from electing a candidate of their choice.
Illinois already recognizes that discrimination has no place in housing, employment, and education—it’s time to include voting. Strong state anti-discrimination laws would make clear that policies or practices that deny or dilute voting power are unlawful, even if they appear neutral but still produce discriminatory outcomes. Adding protections for voting would allow voters to challenge harmful practices before they become entrenched norms, ensuring fairness and accountability.
The Illinois Voting Rights Act will:
Ensure elections in Illinois are fair and accessible to everyone.
Protect Illinois voters against further weakening of federal protections.
Strengthen legal tools to combat voter suppression.
Create stronger protections against unfair districts or election systems that prevent Black or Brown voters from having a real chance to elect the candidates they prefer.
Expand language access requirements for voters with limited English proficiency so that every eligible voter can cast a ballot.
It’s time for Illinois to set a new standard for protecting the right to vote and join other states that have already done so. Illinois can help build a democracy that works for all and ensure that every American has the right to cast a ballot.
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