A new voting bill could make name changes a voting hurdle for many women. Illinois leaders are speaking out.
SNS - A newly revived federal voting bill is drawing renewed scrutiny, especially in Illinois, where voting rights advocates warn it could create significant barriers to ballot access. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the U.S. House last week with unanimous Republican support and four Democratic votes, would require all voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — when registering or updating their registration. The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate, though no vote has been scheduled. This is not the first time the legislation has surfaced. A previous version passed the House during the last session of Congress but stalled in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate.
No citizen should have to make the choice between meeting their basic needs and exercising the right to vote
“We believe every citizen should be protected in the right to vote, and that electoral systems should encourage participation and enhance representation for all voters,” Cortez said. “The League of Women Voters opposes the SAVE Act because, by imposing inequitable economic and administrative requirements, the bill would create unnecessary barriers to voting participation.” A major point of concern raised during the hearing was the bill’s disproportionate impact on women. Cortez explained that because many women in Illinois changed their names after marriage, the SAVE Act would require them — and not men — to produce documentation of name changes through marriage, divorce, or remarriage in order to vote. The League also highlighted the financial implications of the legislation. For many residents living paycheck to paycheck, obtaining official documents like certified birth certificates or divorce decrees could present a real hardship. “No citizen should have to make the choice between meeting their basic needs and exercising the right to vote,” Cortez said. “We believe that even one individual losing their ability to vote because they could not afford to comply with the requirements of the SAVE Act is one voter too many.” Despite their opposition to the measure, LWVIL expressed a willingness to support voters if the bill becomes law. With a statewide network and long-standing relationships with Illinois' 108 election authorities, the League says it is prepared to help residents navigate any new requirements. As the debate continues, Illinois remains a microcosm of a broader national conversation — one that pits concerns over election integrity against the practical realities of access and participation.
Local county clerks and the SBE have received complaints from concerned voters statewide.
Despite the SBE's request that the sensitive information be removed from the Chambana Sun and their other news sites, LGIS has seemingly ignored the state authority that regulates election integrity and information. On Friday, A.G. Raoul 
2020 will be remembered for more than we what to remember including the painful November 3 election. Our country was already suffering from the pandemic and all its spin-off problems.
Unemployment, business closings, demise of the travel industry, struggling houses of worship, massive national depression to name a few of the problems. However, great news Pfizer has come up with a vaccine that has been 90% effective in preliminary trials. At this writing this is great news with the stock market on the verge of setting an all-time high. This vaccine has the potential to bring this country out of the house and back to work, school, church, and more.
We also need a vaccine to get us over this election. Most Americans would gladly take a shot in the butt to relieve this pain in the neck election we have just endured or, enduring?
Whoever heard of an election going on for days? Some of the states are still counting. The media has called the election for the states but some states have not verified the vote totals. This is insane.
Most of the states got it right on November 3. They counted the votes that made it to the post office on November 3. No one knows when a letter will show up when mailed on November 3. The letter could show up November 4 or November 10 or later.
Regardless of how you feel about the outcome of the election states like Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Arizona did our country a disservice. Even if you are happy about Joe Biden being elected, surely you aren't happy about the long delay in counting the votes.
For many weeks we have been hearing about swing states that would be allowed more days in getting their mail ballots back to count. But the changes did what everyone knew would happen and that was delay the reporting of election results with the possibility of court fights later.
In North Carolina, the State Board of Elections said ballots postmarked by Election Day would count as long as officials received them within nine days after the election. Nine days!
In Wisconsin, a federal judge similarly ruled that ballots postmarked by Election Day would count as long as officials had them in hand within six days after Nov. 3. A Michigan state judge ruled that absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 would be counted if they arrived up to two weeks after Election Day.
All this is crazy.
Go to the courthouse to verify your voter registration. Receive your one ballot obtained only by showing your identification. Put your ballot in the mail in plenty of time to arrive by November 3. It only takes some planning.
Better yet go early and vote and forget the mail if at all possible. Between now and the next election we have to come up with a federal election policy that requires counting the votes received by election day and not ten days or two weeks later.
