Illinois House Passes Automatic Voter Registration Bill

AP Photo/Don Ryan
AP Photo/Don Ryan

The Illinois House passed a bill allowing the state to register eligible voters automatically, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The AP reports that bill passed unanimously in the House 115-0 and is now headed to the Senate to review the changes made since it passed the Senate the first time.

The bill, SB1933, would automatically register eligible voters if they visit the secretary of state’s offices or other state agencies.

The bill also allows people to opt out of registering to vote.

State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), who sponsored the bill in the House, says the bill would increase voter participation and bring the voter registration system in Illinois up to date.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a similar bill that passed both chambers of the legislature in 2016 because it did not go far enough to prevent voter fraud.

Seven states and the District of Columbia have already passed automatic voter registration laws, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

An analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice also notes that 32 states introduced bills aimed at implementing automatic voter registration in 2017.

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