Democracy Update: Spring 2026

06/30/26

Our country is in a constitutional crisis. Through Unite and Rise 8.5, the League of Women Voters is engaging and mobilizing 8.5 million voters to protect and preserve our democracy. Here's what we're working on:

Legal & Policy Advocacy

• Lobby Day: LWVIL headed to Springfield for our annual Lobby Day on May 13—members met with their legislators to advocate for critical election protections, progressive tax bills, equity issues in healthcare and education, and important environmental bills.

• Legislation in Springfield: The Illinois General Assembly concluded its spring legislative session on May 31. Several LWVIL-championed bills passed and await the governor's signature. Read our recap.

• New Action Alert Platform: LWVIL has invested in a new platform that makes it easier for our supporters to email and call their legislators with just a few clicks. We look forward to this platform increasing our ability to advocate for League-supported policies!

• Protecting Vote by Mail: The Supreme Court issued a decision upholding voters’ rights and permitting voters’ ballots that are cast on time to be counted after Election Day according to state law. A major win for voters! Watch LWVIL VP Barbara Kwiatkowsky discuss the ruling on ABC7.

  • LWVIL Director Kathy Cortez spoke out against the Trump Administration's claims of widespread voter fraud in mail-in voting in an interview with ABC7's Craig Wall. A coalition of voting rights organizations including LWVUS filed a lawsuit challenging the Administration's March 31 executive order concerning mail-in voting.

• SAVE Act: While the SAVE Act could be brought to the Senate floor again later this year, pro-democracy advocates across the country have shown just how hard we’re willing to fight to ensure equal access to the ballot box. We will continue to work together to protect voters from all voter suppression efforts, especially documentary proof of citizenship bills like the SAVE Act. Thank Illinois' US senators for opposing the bill.

• Fair Maps: The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais is a direct attack on the Voting Rights Act and opens the door to racist redistricting. LWVUS is taking legal action in Louisiana, Florida, and Tennessee to challenge discriminatory legislative maps. Want to take action? Here's what you can do to fight for fair maps.

• Voter Purges Prevented: A federal court blocked an unlawful attempt to create a sweeping federal database that would contain sensitive personal information about millions of Americans. The ruling protects voter privacy and rejects a plan that could have enabled unjustified voter purges and undermined public confidence in our elections. The League is proud to have joined partner organizations in challenging this dangerous overreach.

• Letters & Endorsements: LWVIL has signed on to letters endorsing the following initiatives: 

  • Calling on Governor Pritzker to opt out of new federal school voucher program

  • Opposition to Cook County Board resolution urging the state of Illinois to opt in to the federal school voucher program

  • Opposition to HUD recession of Equal Access Rule (EAR)

  • Opposition to EPA coal ash rule rollback

  • Urging HHS/EPA to address high nitrate levels in tap water

• League in Action: Download the app today to keep up with legislative action opportunities.

Civic Education & Engagement

• Youth Poll Workers: LWVUS announced a partnership with the National Education Association (NEA) focusing on recruiting a new generation of poll workers for upcoming elections.

• Money in Politics: LWVIL's Democracy & Equity event series featured a free webinar on May 6 examining new state-level strategies developed to blunt the influence of money in politics in response to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Watch now.

• Civic Art Tour: Artist and advocate Niki Johnson’s Pillars of Democracy: Unite & Rise tour, an innovative statewide initiative using art, storytelling, and civic dialogue to advance democratic engagement, made stops around the state this spring in Schaumburg, Galesburg, Springfield, and Waukegan. The tour was sponsored by the LWVIL Education Fund, Illinois Humanities, and Healing Illinois.

• Be the Change: During the LWVUS Convention, LWVUS CEO Celina Stewart charged us all with encouraging three to five of our own relatives and friends to check their voter registration status, register if they are not registered, and then continue to shepherd these folks to make sure they vote. You can check your registration and register to vote in all 50 states via our nonpartisan online voter guide, VOTE411.org.

Public Mobilization & Coalition Building

• Urgent Text Alerts: The League is dedicated to ensuring safe and fair elections for all. If there is a need for urgent action to defend democracy, we want to be able to reach you quickly. Opt-in to receive alerts via text message. This system is solely for critical democracy alerts—we will not use it to ask for donations or to advertise events.