Automatic Voter Registration OK'd by Illinois Lawmakers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Legislature has overwhelmingly endorsed a plan to automatically register qualified voters.

The proposal would register eligible individuals automatically when they visit Secretary of State's offices and several other state agencies unless they opt out. The House endorsed it 115-0 Monday. It now returns to the Senate for agreements on changes.

Democratic state Rep. Robyn Gabel of Evanston is the measure's House sponsor. She says the proposal would modernize Illinois' voter registration system and increase participation.

A previous version passed both chambers last fall but Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed it over concerns it didn't do enough to prevent voter fraud. Republican state Rep. Mike Fortner of West Chicago says this bill addresses all parties' concerns.

___

The bill is SB1933 .

___

The story has been corrected to show that the bill must return to the state Senate for agreements on changes instead of going to the governor.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.