In Chicago (WLS), voter suppression is being warned about by voting rights organizations following a new executive order issued by President Donald Trump. These groups are arguing that the order goes against the constitution and could lead to voter suppression.
To register for voting in Illinois, residents are required to verify their identity and residential address. There are various forms of identification that are considered valid for this purpose. The responsibility for conducting elections lies with the states as per the U.S. Constitution.
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According to Ed Yohnka from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, each state has its own set of laws governing the electoral process, including how votes are cast and tabulated. The control over this process has historically belonged to the states and not the White House.
But, when it comes to federal elections, the White House wants control. Trump signed an executive order requiring voters to show proof that they are U.S. citizens before they can register.
“It is an idea that’s sort of built on a lie, that somehow we have this widespread process of people who are non-citizens voting,” Yohnka said.
The ACLU and the League of Women Voters say requiring voters to produce a passport or birth certificate to prove citizenship will result in voter suppression for millions of people, including women who have changed their names due to marriage or divorce.
“There are some 69 million of us in that boat. And that, right off the bat, that’s taking a huge subset of the population and making it very difficult for them to do that,” said Kathy Cortez, with the League of Women Voters of Illinois.
Another major part of Trump’s order is to count only mail or absentee ballots received by Election Day. In Illinois, ballots are counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The Chicago Board of Elections said tens of thousands of ballots are counted after Election Day, including most military and overseas ballots.
“I don’t think anyone’s arguing that there might be some things we can do to shore up election security, sure, but not at the expense of people voting. That’s not appropriate,” Cortez said.
Even though the president says he will cut off funding to states that don’t follow his order, voting rights groups urge local jurisdictions and voters to follow Illinois law, since Congress has given the states the authority to run their own elections.
“Congress has already set standards for federal elections, for federal registration,” Yohnka said.
There are municipal elections throughout the suburbs on Tuesday.
The ACLU and the League of Women Voters want to remind voters: President Trump’s executive order will not have any impact on voting.
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