Bill > HB3047

This bill establishes the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2025, which aims to protect and expand voting rights for all eligible voters, with a particular focus on protecting members of racial, color, and language minority groups. The bill creates two new articles in the Election Code: the Voting Rights Act of 2025 and the Language Access in Elections. Key provisions include prohibiting election policies or practices that result in voter suppression or vote dilution, such as implementing methods of election that impair the ability of protected class members to elect candidates of their choice. The bill requires political subdivisions to provide language assistance for elections in areas with significant limited-English-proficient populations, mandating translated materials, live interpretation when possible, and bilingual election judges. The legislation establishes broad legal mechanisms for challenging potentially discriminatory election practices, including pre-litigation notification requirements, expedited court proceedings, and potential remedies such as redrawing district lines, changing election methods, or imposing financial penalties. The bill also creates a Voter Outreach and Education Fund to support voter education efforts and provides for attorney's fees for prevailing parties in voting rights lawsuits. Courts are instructed to interpret the law liberally in favor of protecting voting rights and must consider various historical and contextual factors when evaluating potential voting rights violations.

Government Affairs

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3047&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104