Peoria Standard

Senate Bill 825, an overhaul of current voting legislation, is not about empowering voters, argued state Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) at a House debate.

Spain urged for a no vote on the bill.

“I am so disappointed with the way this entire process has gone,” he said. “And for decisions to be made and votes to be pushed forward in contradiction to the so many people who had genuine and earnest interest about building a better state government that their wishes were discarded and now just a few days later, we're going to buy ourselves months more of time, time that could have been spent working together and building a better state of Illinois. I can't believe it. This is such a disappointment. Please vote no.”

He believes the bill is an extension of the Democrats' redistricting plan.

“This bill is many things, and I have great respect for the sponsor, but this bill is not about empowering voters,” Spain said. “It's not about trying out by coincidence some new schedule for how we run elections in the state of Illinois. I could talk to you about provisions of this bill, issues with the voting in jail, allowing corrupt campaign practices that have been declared illegal we're making them now legal. But, at the core of this bill is a continuation of the Democrats' redistricting plan.”

The bill which would amend the Election Code would alter a number of things such as providing that “a county with a population of less than 3,000,000, the sheriff may establish a temporary branch polling place at the county jail” and would provide that “dates for the 2022 general primary election and dates to prepare for the 2022 general election as well as repeals the provisions on January 1, 2023.”

“The mix of messages here is unbelievable and it is all connected back to redistricting, and redistricting drives everything that we do here and accounts for so much of why our state is not working,” he said. “This is not a bill about moving the primary, it's not a bill about voter empowerment, this is protection for redistricting, and as we heard from staff we're going to look later on down the road when we do receive the census and make other adjustments.”

In 2022, early voting for the primary begins May 19 and Election Day would be changed to June 28, according to Senate Bill 825.

It also states “that where no primary is held, a person intending to become a write-in candidate shall refile a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for the general election with the appropriate election authority or authorities.”

Senate Bill 825 advanced in the General Assembly.