Section 310.10  Automatic Voter Registration; Department of Employment Security

Each designated automatic voter registration agency shall, pursuant to an interagency contract and jointly adopted rules with the State Board of Elections, agree to participate in an automatic voter registration program established by the State Board Elections that satisfies the requirements of this Section and other applicable law. [10 ILCS 5//1A-16.2(a)] The Department of Employment Security (DES) and the State Board of Elections (SBE) will implement the following procedures in their administration of Sections 1A-16.2 and 1A-16.7 of the Election Code (Code) [10 ILCS 5]:

a)         SBE will provide the technological means by which information contained on an individual's DES application for unemployment insurance benefits will be transferred to the SBE online voter registration system for completion by the voter registration applicant.  The applicant will be provided the opportunity to complete the prefilled online voter registration application via the online voter registration system established and maintained by SBE in accordance with Section 1A-16.5(a) of the Code.

b)         DES will make information available for transfer to the SBE online voter registration system that it collects in its usual course of business from unemployment insurance benefit applications.  SBE will not knowingly forward to an election authority a voter registration application that contains a business address or post office box as primary residence or otherwise omits a required element of a voter registration application. (See 10 ILCS 5/1A-16).

c)         If DES transmits information from unemployment insurance benefits applications to the SBE online voter registration system for completion, SBE will conspicuously inform applicants in writing when voter registration via electronic application is closed.  SBE will make technological means available by which DES, as its technological capabilities allow, may submit voter registration applications to SBE during grace period registration under Sections 4-50, 5-50, or 6-100 of the Code. (See 10 ILCS 5/1A-16.2(a)).