Illinois voting rights landscape widens with permanent vote by mail option

EDITOR'S NOTE: This page is part of a comprehensive guide to state voting rights across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.

As in the last two elections, Illinois voters will be in for some changes when they hit the polls on Nov. 8, 2022.

The most significant change for Illinoisans this time is a new law that gives voters the option of voting by mail on a permanent basis.

Sparked by Gov. JB. Pritzker’s signing of Illinois Senate Bill 825, election offices across the state are now mandated to send all registered voters a vote-by-mail application by Aug. 10. Voters can use the application to indicate how they’d like to utilize the new mail-in option or do nothing if they plan to vote in person.

“They’ll have the option of choosing this election only or be on a permanent list,” said Jorge Paredes, assistant executive of the Rockford Board of Election Commissioners.

Paredes said the state’s new mail-in system also allows voters to have party-specific ballots sent to them ahead of primary elections.

The new system differs from the old. In the past, voters were required to request a mail-in ballot 90 days before each election.

Mail-in ballots will start going out to voters who request them on Sept. 29. Those who choose to vote by mail must return their completed ballots by Nov. 3.

Illinois Democrats pushed mail-in ballot measure through, Republicans opposed

The bill was sponsored by state Sens. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park; Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago; and Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago.

Sponsors in the Illinois House of Representatives were Maurice West, D-Rockford; Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, Nicholas K. Smith, D-Chicago; Carol Ammons, D-Urbana; Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook; and Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.

Pritzker signed the bill on June 17, 2021.

“This legislation articulates the rights of Illinois citizens to vote by mail, allows those awaiting trial to cast their ballots, and makes a state holiday of Election Day 2022,” Pritzker said before signing the bill.

Bill sponsors say the new law empowers voters by increasing opportunities for them to cast a ballot.

"All throughout the country, we are seeing efforts by Republicans to stifle the people's right to vote — particularly among communities of color," Welch said."In Illinois, we believe our democracy is only stronger when more people have access to the ballot box. That's why we passed this elections bill to establish permanent mail-in voting and make election day a state holiday."

Meanwhile, Illinois Republicans largely bucked the measure, calling it the product of heavy-handed politics.

“What we’re seeing is an unprecedented power grab from the remap process to the election code,” state Rep. Dave Severin said after the bill passed on May 31, 2021. “I’m 100% for providing access to the ballot, but I have serious concerns with the proposal that passed today. It seems like Democratic politicians in Illinois are willing to go to any length to protect their political power.”

There are 8,751,326 registered voters in Illinois, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

The new law does not affect early voting. The provision still allows voters, as early as 40 days before the election, to cast their ballots in person without providing a reason for doing so. Ballots must be cast at election offices. Early voting is open through the day before the election.

Previous Illinois mail-in voting required absentee excuse

Before 2009, Illinois used the term “absentee” voting to describe those who had a good reason like serving in the military or being at an out-of-state second home, for being unable to vote in person on Election Day. Those voters would be sent an “absentee” ballot allowing them to cast their ballots through the U.S. Postal Service.

Illinois later stopped requiring voters to provide an excuse to cast absentee ballots, allowing all residents to vote by mail. As a result, the state stopped using the term “absentee ballot” altogether in 2016.

As of 2022, 33 states and Washington D.C. allow voters to cast ballots through the mail. The remaining states require voters to vote by mail only when voting in person on Election Day isn’t possible.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Illinois voting rights: Permanent vote by mail among recent changes