Earlier this afternoon, the Senate Executive Committee approved House Bill 4469 on a partisan vote of 10-4. The bill expands the opportunity to vote for person being detained pre-trial and those leaving prisons in Illinois.
The following can be attributed to Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois:
The ability to exercise one’s right to vote is critical for full participation in our democracy. House Bill 4469 helps assure that every person eligible to vote in the State of Illinois is able to exercise this right. Those being held in pretrial detention will get to access the ballot box, and those leaving prisons and jails will leave with a voter registration application and a voter rights guide tailored to individuals with records. We applaud Senator Omar Aquino and other supporters of this measure for their work to move this important legislation forward. We look forward to a full and bipartisan vote onthe Senate floor.