(The Center Square) – Voters would be forced to cast a ballot every election if Illinois House Bill 2718 becomes law, according to an election integrity advocate.
Opponent of HB 2718 Carol Davis with the Illinois Election Integrity Program said the proposal is a classic “left-wing” slippery-slope bill.
“Because they get this passed, and then, ‘oh, gee, all of a sudden, yeah, we’re going to fine you 50 bucks if you don’t vote, or we’re going to fine you $100 if you don’t vote,” said Davis. “Plus, it says it provides that an eligible citizen who casts a blank ballot – wow, isn’t that exciting? Everybody in the whole state will be sending back and forth blank ballots.”
Last spring, Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said, “People exercise their right to vote but people have the right to not vote and to not register to vote,” when debating legislation concerning Illinois’ automatic voter registration policies.
HB 2718 says more than 24 countries, most notably Australia, treat voting as a civic duty, similar to jury duty. Davis said countries that have implemented this compulsory voting, “they have it where the voter checks a box on the ballot that says, ‘I am not voting for anybody on this ballot.”’
“This bill doesn’t say that. It says a blank ballot,” said Davis. “It doesn’t say who casts a ballot with the, ‘I’m not voting for anyone’ box checked. It says blank. So to me, I have to take these people literally, and that means they’re going to be sending out and getting back blank ballots, which, of course, we all know nefarious actors are going to be using to nefarious ends.”
State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, sponsors the bill, which is in the House Ethics and Elections Committee. Proponents say compulsory voting would combat low voter turnout.
“While precise data does not exist, there are likely fewer than 10,000,000 citizens who are eligible to vote in Illinois. Of those eligible voters, approximately 8,100,000 are registered to vote and approximately 5,700,000 cast a ballot in the 2024 general election,” reads the bill.
Davis said with Illinois’ current voluntary system, there are already far too many “uninformed” and “ignorant” voters casting ballots.
“And, of course, ignorance can be fixed by education, but that takes a commitment of time and effort on the part of the voter, the citizen,” said Davis. “I can also see where if eventually a penalty is imposed, rather than get the $100 fine for not voting, some of these people are just going to hand their ballot over to somebody and say, here’s $10, you take care of this for me.”
The bill, currently, does not impose penalties but says the General Assembly by law shall define permanent residence for voting purposes. Davis said the General Assembly defining “permanent residence” makes her nervous.
“As it is now, homeless people can put the nearest intersection down as their address and they can vote. That’s why some people are getting election-related mail in the names of people they don’t even recognize who don’t live at their address, but it’s addressed to their address. It’s because someone is using their address,” said Davis.
Davis said the issue of homeless using Illinois residents’ addresses to vote would only increase if they must fulfill the compulsory voting requirement.
The measure has been assigned to the House Rules Committee.
