INFUSING ILLINOIS' 2020 ELECTION REFORMS WITH RACIAL EQUITY
By Rebecca Carter, PILI Fellow
Last week, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee celebrated the passage of SB 1863 in the Illinois General Assembly, an important first step to ensuring a safe and accessible general election in November. Advocates are now preparing to fill in where the law falls short in addressing critical racial equity concerns for voters.
COVID-19 is impacting every facet of people's everyday lives, and the November 2020 election will be no exception. Some changes will be necessary in order for eligible voters to safely cast their ballot in the midst of this public health crisis. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee helps to lead the Just Democracy Illinois coalition, which is advocating for a comprehensive set of reforms to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their fundamental right to vote in a safe manner this November. These proposals were laid out before the Illinois State Board of Elections in May and in April by Just Democracy Chair Jay Young.
The concept of racial equity - when social, economic, and political opportunities are not predicted based upon a person’s race - is a critical piece of the reforms advanced by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee. Just as Black and Brown communities are disproportionately harmed by COVID-19 due to pre-existing racial disparities in public health, so will communities of color face unequal barriers to the ballot box unless we intentionally address those racial gaps.
During the March 17, 2020 primary, our volunteer attorneys answered calls from voters and election judges to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, as part of the national nonpartisan Election Protection effort. Nearly 1 in 5 of our calls came from voters whose polling places had changed as a result of the pandemic. Our data analysis reveals that in addition to the many polling places that were planned to be relocated, even more were changed at the last minute on Election Day with little or no notice to communities.
We also heard from many voters who were homebound or hospitalized due to the pandemic. Because they could not jump through the many hoops required to get emergency access to a ballot, several voters were disenfranchised. This is just one example of a process that exists on the books yet fails to provide meaningful access given a voter’s actual experience.
This is why we insist that closing polling places, limiting early voting time periods and locations, and reducing registration access in places such as jails and nursing homes, are the kinds of decisions that cannot be made without input from impacted community members. Without a meaningful process to engage ordinary people, the changes made by election authorities may inadvertently create more barriers rather than less.
You can learn more about the Just Democracy Illinois coalition here: www.justdemocracyillinois.org