Alexi Giannoulias: 2026 candidate for Illinois secretary of state

Bio

Office sought: Secretary of State

Party: Democrat

City: Chicago

Age: 50

Previous offices held: Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois State Treasurer, Chairman of Illinois Community College Board, Member of Chicago Public Library Board of Directors

Q&A

How efficiently do you think the Secretary of State’s office operates currently. What, if anything, would you do to streamline the office?

Illinoisans should not have to take a day off work, arrange child care or stand in line for hours to complete routine government transactions. Since taking office, I have made eliminating that “Time Tax” a central priority. That means respecting people’s time and making essential services easier to access.

Under my administration, that started with changing how the office operated. Our Skip-the-Line program has scheduled more than 5 million appointments, giving customers greater certainty about their visits. Our One-Stop-Shop DMV model reduces the number of stations customers must visit by cross-training employees to handle multiple services at one counter. Expanded online services let more people complete transactions from home.

Our administration has also championed landmark measures to prohibit book bans, strengthen privacy protections by restricting the misuse of automated license plate reader data, bring greater accountability and affordability to auto insurance rates, combat distracted driving, and crack down on carjackings.

We will keep measuring success by the time we save residents, the problems we solve and the quality of service we deliver.

How would you rate customer service at secretary of state branch offices? If you think it needs improvements, how would you make them?

Customer service is the daily test of whether government is doing its job. People should leave a Secretary of State facility with satisfaction and confidence that their time was respected.

Our Skip-the-Line program has scheduled more than 5 million appointments since its launch in September 2023. Text reminders help customers keep track of their visits and cancel appointments they no longer need, providing more predictability.

Inside the DMV, we're simplifying the process itself. Our One-Stop-Shops allow a cross-trained employee to provide multiple services at a single station, reducing steps. We have also opened five senior centers, partnering with municipalities and serving more than 50,000 seniors, most at no additional cost to taxpayers.

We also enhanced access beyond traditional DMVs. Our REAL ID Supercenter was established in less than a week to meet urgent demand. And we expanded online options, giving residents another convenient way to complete eligible transactions and launched mobile driver’s licenses and IDs on smartphones.

Our goals have been to make the process understandable, give people practical choices and get the job done.

Do you consider elections in Illinois free, fair and secure? What, if anything, needs to be done to improve security or voter access?

I have confidence in Illinois’ elections, but that confidence must be supported by protecting free, fair and secure elections and ensuring eligible citizens can participate.

Our office plays an important role in voter registration through our DMV services. Our responsibility is to help make that process accessible, accurate and secure, while protecting the personal information entrusted to us.

One important step our legislation allowing eligible 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote when obtaining a driver’s license or identification card.

Unfortunately, our biggest threat to democracy is from the federal government. The proposed SAVE Act imposes unnecessary costs and procedural barriers on eligible citizens, requiring anyone who registers to vote to produce, in person, either a birth certificate or U.S. passport. The bill is not about making voting safe, it’s about voter suppression.

I also oppose using immigration enforcement to intimidate voters at polling places. Every eligible voter should be able to participate without fear, harassment or political interference. My commitment is to protect election integrity and the rights of the people it serves.

What personal background and experiences particularly qualify you for the role of secretary of state?*

I bring experience leading a statewide office, a commitment to public service and a record of delivering improvements. This office touches people’s lives every day and requires someone who can manage a large organization, work with the Legislature and turn priorities into results residents can see.

I have applied those values to an office with 25 departments, more than 4,000 employees and more than 120 DMV facilities. We expanded appointment scheduling, simplified service delivery, increased online options and brought services closer to the communities that need them.

Whether the issue is combatting distracted driving, access to libraries or the misuse of sensitive data, I believe this office must be responsive to the challenges Illinoisans actually face. Leading an organization of this size requires listening to customers, setting expectations and following through.

Public trust is earned through consistent performance. My background has prepared me to take on this responsibility, and my record demonstrates how I approach it. That means respecting people’s time, protecting their rights and making government more useful in their daily lives.

How efficiently do you think the secretary of state’s office operates currently. What, if anything, would you do to streamline the office?

See answer to Question 1.