Update: IL House Approves Vote-by-Mail Bill

News Item: The Illinois House has approved an amended bill making election day November 3, 2020, a state holiday and expanding voting by mail. The bill also includes a variety of safety measures for in-person voting. The bill now goes back to the Illinois Senate for a vote. Some key details, which only apply to the 2020 general election:

• Requires county election officials to mail or email vote-by-mail ballot applications by Aug. 1 to any voter who cast a ballot in 2018, 2019 or 2020, as well as voters who registered or changed addresses after the March primary.
• Requires the secretary of state to send a notice by Sept. 15 to people who received an application to vote by mail but have not yet returned it.
• Allows local election authorities to add curbside voting, so that voters can drive up, be handed a ballot and fill it out in their cars.
• Makes Nov. 3, 2020 a state holiday to be observed by state offices and schools.
• Allows citizens as young as 16 to be able to be election judges. Students — in both high school and college — will be notified of their eligibility to be a judge, as would people who are unemployed.
• ·Allows election authorities to add secure mail ballot drop locations in addition to using the postal service.

For more information, see https://www.capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/illinois-house-advances-major-expansion-of-mail-in-voting