The federal government is asking an Illinois federal judge to throw out a case challenging how voter rights are extended to the territories, saying the plaintiffs’ issue should be with the state, not the feds. Guam resident and National Guard Staff Sgt. Luis Segovia and five others — plus two veterans groups — filed a lawsuit in November 2015 saying they were unconstitutionally deprived of their rights to participate abroad in Illinois elections. All of the plaintiffs are former Illinois residents. They have targeted the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and the Illinois Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. Those laws allow military members and overseas citizens to participate in Illinois elections even if they live outside the United States. However, the law defines the United States to include the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Northern Mariana Islands, the plaintiffs noted in their complaint, isn’t listed among the other territories.
Incidentally, that means if two Illinois residents move out of the state, one to Guam and the other to the Northern Mariana Islands, the one who moves to the NMI could keep their ability to vote absentee in Illinois elections, including the presidential election.
Wednesday, Illinois time, the federal government asked that the case be thrown out, saying the plaintiffs’ issue should be taken up at the state level.
Full Article: Feds ask judge to dismiss voting case.