FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2016
CONTACT
Brandon Lee
blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
773-259-5288
Advocates: Suspension of Election Day Registration will hurt communities across Illinois
Members of the Just Democracy Illinois coalition are disappointed by the federal judge’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction that would suspend Election Day Registration in polling places for the November Presidential election.
“Election Day Registration breaks down barriers to the ballot and ensures that the right to vote is accessible to all citizens,” said Andy Kang, legal director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “We will fight this ruling on the appeal and also continue our efforts to override the veto of Automatic Voter Registration. Ensuring that these two measures are law will help restore Illinois as a national leader in ballot access.”
The challenge to Election Day Registration is a troubling tactic to limit voter turnout during such a crucial election year. This decision further threatens communities with a history of experiencing voter suppression, at a time when voter interest is anticipated to be extremely high.
“To suspend Election Day Registration and suppress the vote less than two weeks before the voter registration deadline will hurt communities across Illinois who were counting on being able to register and vote on November 8,” said Trevor Gervais, Lead Organizer for Common Cause Illinois. “The court’s decision to side with a conservative group with ties to ALEC and the Koch brothers, combined with Governor Rauner’s recent veto of Automatic Voter Registration, signals a step backwards for voting rights in Illinois and continues a nationwide trend of coordinated and well-funded voter suppression efforts.”
Voting rights advocates and Advancing Justice | Chicago feel confident that there will be a favorable ruling on the appeal.
“On National Voter Registration Day, as organizations across the country are working to bring more people into our democracy, the court has decided to ignore the 110,000 people across Illinois who used Election Day Registration this past March,” said Christian Diaz, Executive Director of Chicago Votes.
It is fully anticipated that the Illinois Attorney General’s Office will be appealing the decision to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The next court date is set for October 27th, with the appeal to be heard as soon as possible. Election day is 41 days away.
The Just Democracy coalition is led by a steering committee that includes Action Now Institute, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, CHANGE IL, Chicago Votes, Common Cause Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and Illinois PIRG.