Illinois would check voter applicants against a citizenship database

The Secretary of State would establish and maintain a secure database showing whether people with a driver’s license or state ID card are U.S. citizens. The database covers people who have been issued a driver’s license or State identification card. The database must be accessible to local election officials. The Secretary of State would have to establish the database by January 1, 2027.

Before registering an applicant, registration officers would check the Secretary of State’s database for the applicant’s citizenship status. The check applies to applicants registering under the covered county, township, and municipal election rules. If the database indicates that the applicant is not a U.S. citizen, the officer must mark the application incomplete and notify the applicant in writing. The applicant may not vote unless they appear before the county clerk and present evidence of U.S. citizenship. The database check would apply to registrations on and after January 1, 2027.