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HB 1498

ELEC CODE-DECEASED VOTER

104th Regular Session Introduced by Chris Miller and 1 co-sponsor

HB 1498 establishes procedures for Illinois election officials to identify and remove deceased voters from registration rolls through vital records coordination.

Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin Schmidt
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1498

Legislative bill overview

HB 1498 addresses the removal of deceased voters from Illinois electoral rolls. The bill establishes procedures for identifying and purging voter registrations of individuals who have died, likely requiring coordination between election authorities and vital records offices. This is a technical election administration measure designed to maintain accurate voter registration databases.

Why is this important

Maintaining current voter rolls is essential for election integrity and operational efficiency. Outdated registrations with deceased voters can create vulnerabilities to fraud, administrative confusion, and potential litigation over election legitimacy. States vary significantly in how promptly they remove deceased voters, affecting both public confidence in elections and the workload of election officials.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs and burden: Determining which agency bears responsibility for cross-referencing deaths with voter rolls and the associated technological infrastructure costs
  • Data privacy and access: Questions about what death records election officials can access, how they verify identities, and protections for sensitive vital records information
  • Timeline and accuracy concerns: Balancing speed of removal against risk of accidentally purging living voters due to name matches, middle initial errors, or data entry mistakes
  • Partisan perception: Voter roll maintenance has become politically contentious, with disagreement over whether proposals prioritize security or suppress legitimate voters

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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