In 2017, Illinois lawmakers passed automatic voter registration into law. Under the law, Illinois citizens are automatically registered to vote through an electronic process administered by the Illinois Secretary of State when they’re applying for a driver’s license or a state ID.
Yesterday, a report revealed that 574 non-citizens were automatically registered to vote by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, and the State Board of Elections confirmed today that some of those non-citizens voted in the 2018 election.
ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider released the following statement in response:
“The recent reports of non-citizens voting in Illinois is simply unacceptable. The Secretary of State’s failure to competently administer the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) process in Illinois compromises the integrity of our entire election system.
Mistakes are made, but when it comes to voting, it simply is inexcusable that non-citizens voted in Illinois and potentially affected the outcome of elections across the state. Those in the Secretary of State’s Office who allowed this to happen should be terminated from their employment with the State. Public hearings in the General Assembly should commence immediately, and the AVR program should be temporarily suspended until we get answers.
Voting is a right and a privilege reserved only for U.S. citizens. The American people need to know that their government is upholding, not undermining, that right.”
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