Raoul: “We should encourage all our citizens to vote and discourage none”

Constitutional amendment banning voter discrimination will appear on November ballot

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago 13^th), who in 2011 sponsored the Illinois Voting Rights Act, spoke passionately on the Senate floor  in favor of a constitutional voter discrimination ban, which the House and Senate both approved this week with overwhelming support. At this November’s general election, voters will decide whether the language is added to the Illinois Constitution.

“Guaranteeing all citizens access to the voting booth isn’t just a symbolic gesture; it’s a necessary response to real threats to the core value of democracy,” Raoul said. “I volunteered as an attorney in Florida during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and saw senior citizens, including my own 83-year-old mother, forced to stand in line for hours in the hot sun just to exercise their most basic civil right. I have witnessed the rise of the voter ID movement that threatens to disenfranchise the 3.2 million Americans, predominantly minorities and senior citizens, who do not possess photo identification. This amendment clearly states that if a policy has the effect of discriminating against someone legally qualified to vote, it’s not welcome in Illinois.”

“While many states are enacting discriminatory laws that restrict voting rights, Illinois is taking steps to be on the right side of history,” Senate President John Cullerton said. “I’m proud of today’s bipartisan action to guarantee fundamental rights.  I especially want to thank Senator Raoul for his leadership and work to strengthen voter protections in this state.”

The constitutional amendment, which will appear on the ballot this November, states that no one may be denied the right to register to vote or cast a ballot based on race, color, language, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or income. In 2011, Raoul sponsored the Illinois Voting Rights Act to protect racial and language minorities during the redistricting process that takes place every 10 years. Raoul has also worked on laws expanding early voting, registration and voting on college campuses and other opportunities for more Illinoisans to exercise their right to cast a ballot.

“The recent trend in many states toward erecting barriers to voting is one that should trouble us all,” Raoul said. “We should encourage all our citizens to vote and discourage none.”

The language of HJRCA 52 will become part of the state constitution if approved by a majority of those who vote in the November 4 election or three-fifths of those voting on the constitutional amendment question.