The
Illinois Right to Vote Amendment is on the
November 4, 2014 ballot in
Illinois as a
legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. The measure would provide that no person shall be denied the right to register to vote or cast a ballot in an election based on race, color, ethnicity, language, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or income.
[1]
Proponents and opponents have suggested that the amendment is meant, in part, to discourage a voter identification card law.
[2]
In order to be ratified, this measure must be approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or by a majority of people voting in the election.
[3]
Background As this measure is attempting to deter a voter identification card law, it is worthwhile to consider the current identity requirements for voting in Illinois. Illinois election laws require two forms of identification to register to vote in person, one of which must include the current residence address of the voter. Registration by mail only requires the submission of a driver's license or state identification card number.
[4] The state does not currently have any documentation requirements when casting votes.[5]
Thirty-one states have voter identification laws in force, as of May 8, 2014. While widely required, such laws have been contested across the country. In 2014, both
Pennsylvania and
Wisconsin had voter identification laws overturned by the courts, while the
Arkansas Supreme Court stayed a ruling that overturned that state's law. The remaining states have other methods for verifying voters, such as signing affidavits or requiring voters to provide biographical information.
[5][6]
Support House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-22), who was the amendment's primary sponsor, said, "The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that all citizens have an opportunity to register and vote and to prevent the passage of inappropriate voter-suppression laws and discriminatory voting procedures."
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Supporters Officials The following elected officials sponsored the amendment in the legislature:
[10]
Other elected officials who support the amendment are:
Arguments- House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-82) called on Republicans to support the amendment. He said, "[The state party] had an identity crisis for many years now. Republicans, we're going to win with addition. We need to dispel some of the notions that have been hanging over the GOP for years, that we're a party of white suburban men. For me this was an easy decision."[11]
- Steve Brown, Sen. Madian's press secretary, said the measure is a response to the growing voter restriction across the country. He stated his opinion that those restrictions are actually voter suppression, saying, "When that right to vote is abridged by a whole bunch of different requirements, or cutting back on early-voting periods, or having all kinds of complicated rules about registration, or identification cards, [then] you know that’s just an effort to suppress the vote.”[12]
- Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-13), who sponsored the measure in the general assembly, said, "It is definitely, definitely intended to discourage voter ID laws. If you cast a vote for this, you are casting a vote against voter ID laws."[13]
Opposition Opponents Officials The following elected officials voted against the amendment in the legislature:
[14]
Arguments Opponents of the measure argue that federal voting protections are sufficient to protect the right to vote and that the amendment is not needed.
[3]
Opposition- The Belleville News-Democrat said,
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The amendment on voting rights would accomplish nothing except create issues where now there are none. [...] The voting rights amendment states that no one would be denied the right to vote or register to vote based on their "race, color, ethnicity, status as a language minority, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or income." Sounds good, right? But the thing is, no one is denied those rights now in Illinois. Federal voting protections cover most of this already. If the amendment is added to the state constitution, we can imagine lawyers having a field day arguing that some election requirement or other has an unequal effect on the poor or another group. This falls under the category of if it isn't broken, don't fix it.[8] |
Illinois Voters: Important Ballot Information!!!
YES
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