(Deadline passed) Support Vote-by-Mail to IL Legislators; Take Action May 19 - 20.

Note: The date for this Action Item has passed. See later postings for an update on this topic.

​The Illinois League of Women Voters (LWVIL) has asked that people contact their Illinois state legislators, by Tuesday May 19 or Wednesday May 20 am, to ask them to support Vote-By-Mail (VBM). An Action Item email from LWVIL Board President Allyson Haut and co-chairs of the Issues and Advocacy team said: 
 
"The Illinois General Assembly must negotiate a budget before the end of May. We know there will be serious cuts, but we also know that some increases are essential to ensure full participation in the November election and to meet basic needs of populations which have been hardest hit by the pandemic." 

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Below is a script you can use when contacting your state representative and state senator. They recommended that people email rather than call because this would be more effective in the current situation. The goal is to contact representatives before the special legislative session starts tomorrow. It will run May 20-22.

Suggested Script to use when calling or emailing legislators
I am calling Senator___ (or Representative _____) to request that s/he support sending a ballot to all registered voters in Illinois.  Voters should not have to choose between keeping themselves healthy or casting a ballot.  Funding should be included in the budget for all local election authorities to handle the increased response to vote by mail. 
 <your name> 
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Representatives for Champaign County are Representative Carol Ammons, IL House 103, Email: Assistance@StateRepCarolAmmons.com; 
Representative Mike Marron, IL House 104, mike@repmikemarron.com; 
Senator Scott Bennett, IL-52, IL-52, Web: www.senatorbennett.com/contact-us; Senator Chapin Rose, IL-51, Web: www.senchapinrose.com/contact
More information about contacting legislators is at:  Contacting Your Representatives.
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