Peoria Standard

Illinois State Rep. Dr. Bill Hauter (R-Morton) believes changes to non-citizen driver's licenses and identification in the Prairie State will lead to Democrats expanding access to voting to non-citizens. Hauter shared information about the changes in a July 3 Facebook post.

"Another step to voting rights… their ultimate goal," Hauter wrote in his post.

In the post, Hauter shared a link to a WCBU article saying standard Illinois driver's licenses would soon be available to non-citizens regardless of immigration status. The article said that under House Bill 3882, which was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses would eventually be eliminated. “Under the new law, those people [who have TVDLs] will qualify for standard licenses that carry the words 'Federal Limits Apply' at the top,” the article said. Standard licenses could also be used for identification purposes.

Allowing immigrants to drive in Illinois isn’t new. A PDF from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office says that the TVDL program began in Illinois in December 2013 and that all applicants were then required to provide a valid, unexpired foreign passport or an Illinois State Police-approved Consular Card. A verification-of-residency form is required for first-time applicants. The TVDL was meant to be used for Illinois driving privileges, not as identification, the Secretary of State PDF says.

People without social security numbers would have to apply for the standard license the same way that individuals currently apply for a TVDL, WCBU said. This includes proof that the person has lived in Illinois for at least a year and has proper immigration documents. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias's office said standard license holders would not be added to the voter rolls, WBCU reported. The article also said that a warrant, or court order would be needed for the Secretary of State's office to provide information to immigration officials.

In March, NBC 5 Chicago reported that there were more than 300,000 motorists in the state with TVDLs. The outlet noted that in addition to providing proof of their name, date of birth and residence, undocumented immigrants must also pass a driving test and show proof of insurance.