Ensure New Americans Gain Full Access to the Polls

Asian Americans, part of a growing immigrant population that includes Latinos, Africans and Eastern Europeans who constitute nearly 20% of the voting age population in Illinois, are propelling its growth and economy. There was a 53% increase in voter registration among Asian Americans from 2000-2008, but in a 2012 voter engagement study, 35% of respondents cited barriers to voting including: language access, transportation to the polls, and limited job flexibility. This pattern is reflected in other immigrant communities, and effectively disenfranchises new Americans when outdated and inefficient election rules create barriers to participation.

Illinois requires voters to register 27 days prior to an election, one of the earliest dates in the United States. Fragmented and little-known exceptions to this rule create more confusion than enfranchisement, leading to the use of provisional ballots, over 70% of which are never counted. Voting rights are crucial to a healthy democracy, so let’s get Same Day Registration in Illinois and give everyone the opportunity to access the ballot.