summary
Introduced
02/04/2025
02/04/2025
In Committee
03/21/2025
03/21/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Creates the Facilitating Voting By All Eligible Citizens Act. Provides that all eligible citizens shall cast a ballot in every general election. Provides that an eligible citizen who casts a blank ballot in a general election shall satisfy the requirement. Provides that no fine, fee, or penalty shall be assessed if an eligible citizen does not cast a ballot in a general election.
AI Summary
This bill, titled the Facilitating Voting By All Eligible Citizens Act, aims to establish a new approach to civic participation in elections in Illinois. The bill begins by citing a constitutional provision that requires the General Assembly to facilitate voter registration and voting for qualified persons. Drawing inspiration from countries like Australia that treat voting as a civic duty, the legislation proposes a novel approach where all eligible citizens are expected to cast a ballot in general elections. Importantly, the bill specifies that casting a blank ballot would satisfy the voting requirement, and critically, no fines, fees, or penalties would be imposed on citizens who do not vote. The bill's context is grounded in Illinois' current voting landscape, where out of potentially fewer than 10,000,000 eligible voters, approximately 8,100,000 are registered and around 5,700,000 typically cast ballots in a general election. By proposing this approach, the bill seeks to increase civic engagement and voter participation without creating punitive measures, presenting Illinois as a potential national leader in developing an innovative universal civic voting policy.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee (on 03/21/2025)
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
Document Type | Source Location |
---|---|
State Bill Page | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2718&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104 |
BillText | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/HB/10400HB2718.htm |
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