Voting Rights Update: Illinois Law Faces New Court Challenge

A new federal lawsuit is challenging the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 (ILVRA), raising important questions about voting rights, redistricting, and fair representation in Illinois.
 
The Public Interest Legal Foundation filed the case on behalf of former Illinois lawmaker Jeannie Ives on May 8, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Elections, and SBE Executive Director Bernadette Matthews as defendants.
 
The complaint relies on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision, which narrowed how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 may be used to challenge racial discrimination and vote dilution in redistricting. Ives argues that the ILVRA violates the U.S. Constitution by requiring race to be prioritized when legislative districts are drawn. The complaint asks the court to declare the ILVRA unconstitutional and block Illinois from enforcing it. 
 
Voter Services is following this case closely because the League of Women Voters works to protect every citizen’s freedom to vote. The LWVUS was involved in litigation that led to the Callais case.
 
In its statement, LWVUS condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling, warning that weakening Section 2 threatens decades of progress toward a multiracial democracy and undermines protections for Black voters and other voters of color.
 
LWVUS emphasized that every vote matters and that communities must continue organizing to protect voting rights, fair maps, and representative democracy.
 
Take action: LWVUS urges people to connect with their local League or another pro-voter organization and help safeguard democracy in their communities.