Tom Cullerton works to streamline Illinois voter registration
SPRINGFIELD- Currently there are more than 2 million Illinoisans who are eligible to vote, but aren't registered.
To alleviate this problem, Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) sponsored Senate Bill 250 which would automatically register eligible citizens when they renew their drivers' license or state ID.
"The democratic process works best when more people are involved," Cullerton said. "We need to do whatever we can to engage more people and give them the opportunity to exercise their rights."
Statistics have shown currently of all voting-age eligible Illinoisans, 42 percent of black citizens, 57.8 percent of Asian citizens and 33 percent of all females are not registered.
Under current law eligible citizens are allowed to register when they renew their license or state ID. Senate Bill 250 would change the rule from an "opt-in" system where citizens have to actively register to "opt-out" where they can choose to not register to vote.
"This simple change will streamline Illinois' voter registration process and help us save money at the same time," Cullerton said.
Estimates show the annual county-level costs throughout the country for voter registration is at least $1 billion or about one-third of the total county-level cost of administering elections.
Senate Bill 250 passed the Senate with bipartisan support and now moves to the House for consideration.