2025 Voting Rights Agenda
What We’re Doing
The bills on our Voting Rights Agenda aim to limit the administrative burden and access issues that Illinoisans face in casting their ballot. We want civic engagement to be as intuitive and simple as possible which is why we’re engaging local government officials, advocacy organizations, and voters to help pass these bills.
Why It Matters
In the 2024 Presidential Primary race, Illinois saw its lowest-ever voting turnout numbers. In the November election voter turnout across Illinois was 59.6%, down from 72.9% in 2020.
In close elections, every vote makes a difference. Illinois has the opportunity to ensure fair, accessible, and straightforward voting for all its residents and increase voter turnout rates.
How You Can Support
Make a contribution to support our voting rights agenda and help us make civic engagement more accessible.
Our Voting Rights Agenda
Expanding Voting Hours on Public University Campuses-
While running our Campus Vote Fellow Programs, we learned how confusing and inconsistent voting hours can be at public universities.
This bill would expand early voting at each public university’s student union, during early voting, and on election day to ensure hours are consistent and make voting more accessible.
Expanding Curbside Voting Access-
Curbside voting is most frequently used by those with a disability or those who have mobility issues. Prior to 2022, curbside voting was only an option for those individuals, but after Governor Pritzker signed HB 1871 into law, curbside voting became an option for anyone. However, Illinois law does not require counties to provide curbside voting for voters during early voting and on election day.
This bill would require that curbside voting be an option for voters during early voting and on election day.
Expanding Permanent Vote by Mail Access-
Information about the permanent vote-by-mail option is inconsistent and confusing across the state. All Illinoisans should have easy access to this option, and evidence shows that voters favor this option. In Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, and Utah, any resident can request to permanently receive an absentee ballot, making it easier for voters to participate in elections. These states also run their elections entirely by mail, ensuring every registered voter automatically receives a ballot at their address. This system has proven highly effective in ensuring voter participation, as Colorado, Oregon, and Washington consistently rank among the states with the highest voter turnout rates in the country. By eliminating barriers to voting and streamlining the process, these states have demonstrated the impact of accessible voting systems on civic engagement.
In Illinois, this bill would mandate that state and county one-time vote-by-mail applications include an option to enroll in permanent vote-by-mail. An example:
