SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham (18th District) is cautioning suburban Cook County and Chicago residents about misleading reports that the window for voter registration has closed.

In fact, there are still plenty of opportunities to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

“Of all the excuses people use not to vote, claiming that it is too hard to register might be the least valid,” Cunningham said. “Thanks to recent changes in the law, there are plenty of opportunities remaining to register to vote between now and the General Election, including the ability to register on Election Day itself.”

Online registration

The easiest way to register is online at the Illinois State Board of Elections website – https://ova.elections.il.gov. Online registration is open until Sunday, Oct. 21 and is available to any Illinois citizen who has a driver’s license or state-issued identification.

‘Grace period’ registration

So-called “grace period” registration is available at all Cook County and City of Chicago early voting sites until Nov. 5. New voters can register and vote in-person on the same day at each site as long as they bring two forms of identification.

A full list of early voting sites for Cook County suburban residents is available on the county clerk’s website – http://bit.ly/CookEarlyVote. A list of early voting sites for Chicago residents is available on the Chicago Board of Elections website – http://bit.ly/ChiEarlyVote.

Both websites offer information about what forms of identification are accepted.

Same-day registration

Eligible voters can register to vote in-person on Election Day. Same-day registration is only possible at a voter’s assigned local polling place. The voter must present two forms of identification to participate in same-day registration, one of which must show a current address.

Suburban residents can find their assigned polling location by entering their home address in a search bar on the clerk’s website at http://bit.ly/CookPollingPlaces. City of Chicago residents can find their assigned polling place on the Chicago Board of Elections website at http://bit.ly/ChiPollingPlaces.

The address for Worthwinds School should read 11000 Oketo Avenue.

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have ended Illinois’ participation in the controversial Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, which is used to detect voters who are registered in more than one state. Critics say the system is a cybersecurity liability has been used to suppress minority voters by purging valid voters from voter rolls in other states.

The legislation, Senate Bill 2273, would have required Illinois to use the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) instead of Crosscheck. ERIC uses tougher security protocols and more information to guarantee that personal information is correct and safer from hacking.

Rauner’s veto came days after the U.S. Justice Department announced it had indicted 12 Russian military officers for hacking voter data systems throughout the nation, including systems in Illinois.

State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat representing Chicago and the Southwest suburbs who chairs the Senate’s Telecommunications and Information Technology Committee, issued the following statement in response to the governor’s veto:

“It’s inexcusable that within days of federal prosecutors indicting Russian cyber-spies for hacking the personal data of Illinois voters, Gov. Rauner vetoed a bill designed to secure Illinois election systems. Gov. Rauner chose to leave Illinois vulnerable to data breaches in order to preserve the Crosscheck system, which has been used in blatant voter suppression tactics for partisan advantage. He placed the political benefit of his party over the personal data security of Illinoisans.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) had the following statement after votes being taken on a property tax freeze.
 
“The Illinois Senate has voted to deliver much needed property tax relief to homeowners throughout the state,” Cunningham said. “This is another step the Senate has taken to make a serious attempt to end the impasse by passing a balanced budget and significant reforms that protect working families.”