HOW ILLINOIS CAN (AND SHOULD) PREVENT COVID-19 FROM DISENFRANCHISING VOTERS
UPDATE: We thank Illinois State Board of Elections and Illinois Attorney General’s Office for considering our input. We are encouraged that SBOE issued guidance to all 108 election authorities on March 16 regarding hospitalized voters and voters who did not receive their requested vote-by-mail ballot.
Yesterday, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights in conjunction with the national Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Illinois Attorney General's Office regarding ways to enhance voter access during the upcoming primary - rather than limit voters' ability to participate due to COVID-19.
We are requesting that:
the State Board of Elections issue immediate guidance instructing all local election officials to accept emergency applications for vote-by-mail ballots for voters who are home-bound, quarantined, or hospitalized as a result of the outbreak.
Illinois officials to clarify that voters who requested a vote-by-mail ballot by the March 12 deadline, but who do not receive the ballot prior to Election Day, must be allowed to vote in person using a regular ballot.
all efforts are taken to inform the public of any and all changes to the primary voting process using all modes of communication available.
We commend these agencies for their efforts and we aim to support them in this challenging time.