Judges, first-time voters affected by legislative package
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Three key pieces of election legislation created by Cook County Clerk David Orr were approved Wednesday by the Illinois State Legislature.
The three provisions promoted by Orr were part of the SB662 election package approved on Wednesday in Springfield. Two will boost the Election Judge program, while the third amends the Motor Voter law, ensuring that voters who have registered by mail will not be disenfranchised, Orr said.
“I applaud the legislators for supporting these reforms,” Orr said. “Not only will they help us in recruiting election judges, but the amendment to the Motor Voter rule protects first-time voters.”
The first component will allow election authorities to appoint high school juniors to serve as election judges. This is in addition to the highly successful Student Judge program started by Orr in 2000, which allowed high school seniors to work as election judges.
“Expanding the Student Judge program to include juniors will enhance the quality of judges who work on Election Day,” he said.
The second part of Orr’s package calls for the state to increase its contribution towards judges’ pay by $20. Currently, the state allocates $25. However, Orr cautioned that the state still must appropriate the funds for the additional pay before judges will get paid more.
The third provision amends the Motor Voter law. Previously, those who registered by mail could not vote absentee their first time. Now, anyone who registers by mail can vote by mail-in absentee ballot, as long as they have provided sufficient proof of identification and the election authority has verified the person’s proof of identity.
“Under the old law, voters who were not in their home precincts on Election Day could not vote. This disenfranchised college students, snowbirds and people traveling for work,” Orr said. “This will make the voting process much easier for first-time voters, and at the same time, make sure every vote counts.”