Illinois Needs a Voting Rights Act

Mar 26

Written By CLCCRUL

Dear CLC community,

The right to vote and federal voting rights protections are at risk. The current presidential administration has started acting on its plans to undermine the enforcement of protections against voting discrimination and an executive order signed last night further threatens voting rights, creating new barriers to voter registration and more. Federal courts have also repeatedly chipped away at important voter protections from the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It’s clear in this current landscape that the need to protect voting rights is urgent and necessary.

In a major step toward protecting democracy here in Illinois, Representative Kam Bucker has introduced the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2025 (HB 3047) alongside Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO). At a time when our democracy is under attack, this is a critical step forward in protecting the freedom to vote and building a democracy that works for all in our state.

Here in Illinois, we continue to grapple with disparities in our electoral processes that affect all voters. These disparities impact communities of color the most and can lead to situations where eligible voters are prevented from electing a candidate of their choice and gaps in voter turnout.

Illinois must take action to safeguard the freedom to vote, especially for communities of color. Other states like California, Minnesota, and New York have already passed their own voting rights acts—it’s time for Illinois to pass stronger state-level protections.

The Illinois Voting Rights Act will:

Ensure elections in Illinois are fair and accessible to all eligible voters.

Protect Illinois voters against further weakening of federal protections.

Strengthen legal tools to combat voter suppression.

Create stronger protections against unfair districts or election systems that prevent Black or Brown voters from having a real chance to elect the candidates they prefer.

Expand language access requirements for voters with limited English proficiency so that every eligible voter can cast a ballot.

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and UCCRO continue to engage impacted communities to craft a strong Illinois Voting Rights Act.

Protecting the freedom to vote is critical to building a democracy that works for all. We’re proud to be working alongside UCCRO, Rep. Kam Buckner, NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, and national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to make this a reality here in Illinois.

Thank you for continuing the fight with us.

For more information about the Illinois Voting Rights Act, click here.

Yours in service,

Ami Gandhi
Director of Midwest Voting Rights Program
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

CLCCRUL