Demos Applauds Illinois Passage of Same-Day Voter Registration

(New York, NY) – Yesterday, the Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill 172, which would allow voters to register and vote on Election Day. This bill’s passage follows the successful implementation of the state’s pilot program this past November, and would also offer a grace period for registration on university campuses, expand early voting, and modernize current registration processes.

In response, Demos Vice President of Policy and Outreach Lenore Palladino issued the following statement:

“This is a tremendous victory for the citizens of Illinois. By eliminating arbitrary deadlines, the state of Illinois has committed to expanding access to the ballot for all eligible citizens.

“Our research has shown that average voter turnout in states with same-day registration (SDR) is over 10 percentage points higher than in states without. This success has already been proven through the state’s pilot program – which registered anew or updated existing records for nearly 9,000 residents.

“Overall, this legislation is a model that will ensure that more eligible voters can be brought into the democratic process. By allowing voters to register and vote, modernizing the way voter registration is offered at state agencies, like the DMV, and expanding early voting, we are opening up new avenues for citizens to engage.”

Additional Resources:

• Illinois Moves to Expand Voting Rights
• What is Same-Day Registration? Where is it available?

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