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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, During the 2018 Illinois General Primary,
37,945,074 Illinois residents were registered to vote, 26.48% of
4that number actually voted; and
 
5    WHEREAS, During the 2018 Illinois General Election,
68,099,372 Illinois residents were registered to vote, 57.23% of
7that number actually voted; and
 
8    WHEREAS, At least 22 states have provisions allowing
9certain elections to be conducted by mail; and
 
10    WHEREAS, As of January 2017, three of the 22 states -
11Oregon (2000), Washington (2011), and Colorado (2013) - hold
12all elections entirely by mail; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Voting by mail provides several advantages,
14including, but not limited to, conveniently providing voters
15the ability to vote from home, financial savings in areas where
16voting by mail can entirely replace traditional voting places,
17and improving voter turnout; and
 
18    WHEREAS, According to a study on Utah's 2016 general
19election, Utah experienced greater voter turnout in counties
20which administered voting entirely by mail compared to counties

 

 

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1which administered traditional polling place-based voting; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Illinois has taken efforts to encourage greater
3voter participation through its 40-day early voting period,
4Automatic Voter Registration, and permitting any qualified
5voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse; however, as
6other states in the Union have demonstrated, Illinois can
7pursue more to achieve greater voter participation in its
8democratic process; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we encourage increased investment and participation in vote by
12mail programs in order to achieve greater participation in our
13democracy and to better carry out our democratic ideals; and be
14it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16delivered to the Illinois State Board of Elections and the
17Illinois Association of County Officials.