West Central Reporter

Following his discovery of voter registration forms being sent to noncitizens, State Senator Steve McClure is taking action. The Republican from Springfield has announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at safeguarding the integrity of elections in Illinois.

“Free, fair, and honest elections are essential for our government to properly function,” said McClure. “We have to make sure that people, who are not legally allowed to vote, are not casting ballots.”

McClure learned from an immigrant rights advocate that the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) is including voter registration forms in packets sent to noncitizens applying for state aid. These packets are pre-addressed to local county clerks’ offices and available electronically on the department's website.

The senator expressed concern that recipients might feel compelled to complete all forms without understanding them fully due to language barriers, potentially leading them to apply incorrectly for voting.

Recent changes signed into law by Governor Pritzker add complexity by issuing identical driver's licenses to citizens and noncitizens alike. Previously, such licenses were marked differently if issued to noncitizens.

“If we receive these applications, and the person has a driver’s license number, and checks the box that says they are a citizen, whether intentionally or not, we have no way to verify that they are indeed a citizen of the United States,” said Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray. “This opens the process up to serious potential for fraud.”

Legislation passed in 2017 allows DHS applications for aid also to serve as voter registration tools. However, this requires DHS verification before reaching election officials—unlike paper applications directly submitted by applicants.

McClure warns that if noncitizens register and vote illegally, it could jeopardize both election legitimacy and their own chances at citizenship. “Whatever reason the Pritzker Administration has for sending these forms," McClure stated, "they are not looking out for the best interests of immigrants."

To address these issues, McClure proposes requiring the Illinois Secretary of State’s office to maintain a database of noncitizen drivers' license holders. This would enable county clerks to verify voter eligibility effectively.