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October 29, 2008

Dave Druker
Henry Haupt

Illinois Motor Voter Registration Applications See Significant Increase in 2008

Secretary of State Jesse White thanked Illinois’ Motor Voter Advisory Committee for their hard work and dedication in helping his office successfully execute the Motor Voter program in a year in which motor voter registration applications rose 50 percent from the last presidential election.

In the 2004 presidential election, 59,830 residents submitted motor voter registration applications to Secretary of State Driver Licensing facilities from September 1 through October 7.

In this year’s presidential election, 89,570 residents submitted motor voter registration applications to Secretary of State Driver Licensing facilities from September 1 through October 7.

“I commend Chairman Paul Green and the Motor Voter Advisory Committee for their efforts in helping my office carry out the Motor Voter program efficiently and effectively,” said White. “The right to vote is among the greatest privileges and responsibilities we as American citizens enjoy.”

“I am pleased that Motor Voter registration applications had a significant increase this year,” said Green “Secretary of State White and his staff should be praised for their hard work in implementing this policy to improve and increase citizen participation in the electoral process.”

The Motor Voter program, established by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, requires the Secretary of State to offer anyone applying for or renewing a Driver's License or State ID the opportunity to apply to register to vote. The Secretary of State’s office forwards the applications to the appropriate election authority, of which there are 110 in Illinois. Those election authorities (101 County Clerks, 1 County Election Commission and 8 City Election Commissions) are the only entities in Illinois that are allowed to register people to vote. Those election authorities are also responsible for running elections in Illinois with supervision from the Illinois State Board of Elections.