An Opportunity For a Victory on Voting Rights in Illinois

Making lunch, cheering you on at a game, helping you make a Halloween costume, or even just putting a roof over your heads—growing up, our parents helped us the best way they could.

You know how else our parents have looked out for us? By voting.

Until we’re 18 and get registered ourselves, our parents’ voting power is one of the only ways we’re represented in government.

In Illinois, around 38,000 people are currently incarcerated and denied the right to vote—leaving approximately 100,000 children denied an advocate at the ballot box. That’s a staggering number of Illinois citizens who do not have a voice in our political system.

The bottom line: Every American deserves a say in our democracy, even if they are incarcerated. Citizenship does not end with incarceration, and the right to vote shouldn’t either—period!

Together with our partners at Chicago Votes, we need your help to reach out to your state senator and house representative to end this injustice and make Illinois a national leader in voting rights.

Our goal is simple. We need to pass SB 828, the Voting in Prisons Bill, which would restore the right to vote to those currently incarcerated. Take action now by sending an email to your state legislators, urging them to support SB 828 and pass it into law during the upcoming special session.

As someone committed to racial equity, you may already know that being incarcerated and denied the right to vote disproportionately impacts Black and brown Illinoisans.

15% of Illinois residents are Black. 55% of Illinois residents in prison are Black.

The fact that our criminal legal system is so blatantly racist has ripple effects all throughout our society. We know that if Black people in Illinois are disproportionately incarcerated and denied the right to vote, their children and communities will ultimately pay a higher price.

It doesn’t have to be this way. State legislators are working to fix this and help Illinois lead the country when it comes to restoring the right to vote to those who are currently incarcerated in prison. But your state legislators need to hear how important passing this bill is from their constituents.

In just a few clicks, send an email to your state legislators urging them to pass SB 828.