This evening, the Illinois House passed Senate Bill 2090. The bill requires county jails and election authorities to collaborate in creating a process that ensures pre-trial detainees in jail can cast their ballot during elections. The bill also assures that eligible citizens leaving Illinois prisons and jails receive a voter registration application and information about their voting rights being restored.

The following can be attributed to Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois:

“Across the country, there have been countless measures passed to make it harder for people to vote. With the passage of SB 2090, we will ensure that every eligible citizen leaving jails and prisons in Illinois know about their right to vote. If returning citizens don’t know about their right to vote, they are much less likely to exercise those rights – and it’s an essential part of democracy. 

Thank you to House sponsor Representative Welch for his commitment to this issue and leadership in getting this legislation through. We look forward to Senate Bill 2090 being signed into law by Governor Pritzker.”