Bill
HB 3296
The bill creates a Voter Safety Confidentiality Program to remove participating voters’ addresses from public voter lists, shielding them from disclosure.
HB 3296 — Voter Safety Confidentiality (Illinois, 104th General Assembly)
Overview
- Purpose: Establish a Voter Safety Confidentiality Program to shield the addresses of participating voters from public lists. The goal is to enhance safety for individuals who may be at risk due to their public roles or personal circumstances.
- Core idea: Eligible voters who opt into the program would have their addresses removed from any publicly accessible list of registered voters.
Key Provisions
- New program creation:
- Adds Section 1A-70 to the Election Code: Voter Safety Confidentiality Program.
- The State Board of Elections (SBOE) would administer and implement the program through rulemaking.
- Eligibility:
- Participants may include:
- Elected officials
- First responders
- Police officers
- Election workers
- Victims of domestic violence
- Public lists and confidentiality:
- The program requires that the address of participating voters be removed from public lists of registered voters.
- The SBOE would adopt rules to implement and administer the confidentiality protection, including the mechanics of opt-in eligibility, processing, and ongoing compliance.
- Administrative framework:
- The bill designates SBOE as the lead agency to establish procedures, safeguards, and regulatory rules to operating the program.
- Interaction with existing procedures:
- The bill supplements (and would operate in relation to) existing public postings of voter information under Sec. 19-4, which currently requires displaying certain voter data at election authorities and on mail/ballot lists. The confidentiality program would reduce or remove addresses for participating voters from those public postings.
Who would be affected
- Eligible voters who opt into the program would benefit from confidentiality of their residential addresses in publicly accessible voter lists.
- Public-facing election information for non-participating voters remains unchanged.
- Election authorities and SBOE would bear new administrative responsibilities to process applications, maintain confidential status, and ensure compliance with rules.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Status: Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee (as of the provided record)
- Introduced: February 2025 (documents show February 18, 2025; status notes reference February 25, 2025 as the introduction date)
- Legislative actions (selected timeline):
- February 18, 2025: First Reading; Referred to Rules Committee
- March 11–21, 2025: Assigned to Ethics & Elections; Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
- March 20, 2025: Read in House; Referred to Higher Education (earlier procedural step)
- April 15, 2025: Considered in public hearing; committee substitute considered; testimony taken; left pending in committee
- Practical effect: If enacted, SBOE would issue implementing rules, and participating voters could opt in to have their addresses removed from public voter lists; the process would include timelines for eligibility verification and posting/maintenance requirements, especially around public postings, mailings, and ballot-related lists as applicable under Sec. 19-4.
Notes
- The bill is drafted to balance voter safety with the transparency traditionally associated with election administration by providing a confidential option for at-risk individuals.
- As introduced, the text also preserves the existing framework for handling mail ballots and public lists, while introducing a protective mechanism for participants.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
