Common Cause Illinois

The Illinois automatic voter registration law is the first in the country to allow agencies outside of the Secretary of State to register voters. Democrats pushed to offer AVR at public assistance and social services agencies, which help low-income people and people of color who may not have driver’s licenses. Meanwhile at the Republican governor’s request, the state Department of Natural Resources and Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will also register voters. But a combination of unrelated policy delays, lack of state funding and security concerns all threaten the law’s rollout in Illinois.