A federal judge Tuesday blocked Election Day voter registration at polling places in Illinois, declaring a state law allowing the practice unconstitutional because it created one set of rules for cities and another for rural areas. Voters will still be able to register Nov. 8 and cast a ballot for president but only at a limited number of sites, including the county clerk’s office, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. The ruling, handed down on National Voter Registration Day, is the latest front in a broader battle between Democrats led by House Speaker Michael Madigan and Republicans led by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Democrats pushed through the same-day registration law in the lame-duck session that followed the November 2014 election, weeks before Rauner took over from then-Democratic-Gov. Pat Quinn. It was billed as a way to get more people involved in the democratic process after a trial program resulted in long lines, particularly in Chicago, where it was used at five sites by nearly 2,900 people, some who waited hours to vote.
Republicans cried foul, suggesting the new registration method could be used for voter fraud. Last month, a Republican northwestern Illinois congressional candidate sued with the help of the Liberty Justice Center, which was founded by the Illinois Policy Institute, a tax-exempt organization allied with much of Rauner’s agenda. Prior to becoming governor, Rauner donated more than $500,000 to the policy institute.
This fall, Rauner is attempting to use his wealth and that of his friends to erode Democratic supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate. Rauner also is a supporter of Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who is in a tough re-election bid against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
The suit challenged a law that required counties of more than 100,000 people that use electronic books to record voter registration to allow for Election Day registration at every polling place. Counties without electronic polling books and below 100,000 population had to at least provide same-day registration at a centralized location.
Full Article: Judge blocks Election Day registration at Illinois polling places – Chicago Tribune.