Peoria Standard

Jim Rule, chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans, said Illinois is undermining election integrity by defying President Trump's executive order and failing to require proof of U.S. citizenship, leaving its elections exposed to fraud. Rule made his statement to Peoria Standard on April 9.

"President Trump's order demands that states verify citizenship during voter registration, but Illinois refuses to comply," said Rule. "The state continues to allow sworn statements in place of valid documentation. This undermines the credibility of elections and disrespects federal authority. Illinois needs to take election security seriously before public confidence erodes completely."

According to Capitol News Illinois, despite the executive order from President Trump mandating documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, Illinois voters in the April 1 consolidated elections were not required to provide such documentation. The state's current law under the National Voter Registration Act only necessitates a sworn statement affirming citizenship and does not require photo identification at polling stations. Trump's order demands changes to federal voter registration forms and threatens to withhold election funds from non-compliant states. Acceptable documents include passports, REAL ID-compliant licenses, and certain military or government-issued IDs.

The Executive Order titled ‘Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections’ was posted on the White House website on March 25. It said that "Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic." It emphasized that ensuring American citizens' votes are counted without illegal dilution is crucial for determining election outcomes.

The Illinois Policy Institute reported on legislative efforts aimed at granting voting rights to noncitizens. The report highlighted that Chicago hosts over 43,000 migrants and approximately 425,000 noncitizens reside in Illinois. Recent legislative attempts included Senate Bill 1345 in 2023, which sought to allow noncitizens with children in local schools to vote in school board elections but ultimately failed. Additionally, an ordinance introduced in Evanston’s City Council in late 2023 proposed allowing noncitizens with defined legal status to vote locally but did not pass.

Rule was first elected as Chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans in 2018. According to the organization’s website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to Tazewell County voters."