On February 23^rd, Sen. Edward D. Maloney introduced Senate Bill 227, a bill requiring election authorities to accept the pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds who, but for age, are otherwise qualified to vote. Allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register would open up the possibility of registering young people through high school-based registration programs. This has the potential to increase youth participation in the democratic process and could also be the first step toward a universal registration system and clean and complete voter rolls. [Read SB 227]

To support this legislation contact Sen. Maloney at:

311 Capitol Building

Springfield, IL   62706

(217) 782-5145

Illinois residents, please contact the Senator from your district.

 

October 19th 2009
Mandatory Voting? Automatic Registration? How Un-American!
Huffington Post

President of Air America Media, Mark Green, explains why Instant Runoff Voting, Automatic Registration and Mandatory Voting are not only important but could lead to a more democratic society.

September 30th 2009
Can a 17-year-old register to vote? It depends
Ventura County Star

"Most Californians register to vote not because a political cause has touched their heart, but rather because they checked a box on a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they received or renewed their driver�s license."

September 27th 2009
Giving teens a civic voice
The Fayetteville Observer

In January, North Carolina will become the third state to implement FairVote-endorsed youth preregistration.

September 8th 2009
Give voters final say on vacancies
Politico

The two legislators proposing a constitutional amendment mandating elections to fill Senate vacancies make their case in the pages of Politico.