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Another State Is Letting Its Residents Register To Vote Automatically

Illinois' general assembly voted unanimously to let driver's license applications double as voter registration applications.
Posted at 9:17 PM, May 30, 2017

Illinois is the latest state to make it much easier for its residents to become registered voters. 

The state legislature passed an automatic voter registration law that will let an Illinois driver's license application double as a voter registration application. 

State lawmakers passed a similar measure last year, but Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed it. Legislators tweaked it a bit and apparently that was enough to change Rauner's mind. A spokeswoman said the governor will sign it this time.

Had Rauner opposed the bill, he would've been the only one. It unanimously passed in the House and Senate.

Illinois is now poised to become the ninth state to enact automatic voter registration. That could add about 1 million eligible voters to the state's roll.

Voter rights have recently become a hot-button issue. States like Texas and North Carolina lost court cases over their voter ID requirements. Courts ruled their laws were designed to discriminate and disenfranchise.