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SB 1484

RELATING TO HIGHWAYS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ron Kouchi

Declares that all eligible Illinois citizens must cast a ballot in every general election; blank ballots satisfy the duty, but no penalties or fines are imposed.

Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1484

Summary — SB 1484: “Facilitating Voting By All Eligible Citizens Act”

Short title

Facilitating Voting By All Eligible Citizens Act

Overview / Purpose

SB 1484 is a proposed state law that declares casting a ballot in every general election to be a universal civic duty for all eligible citizens. The measure is framed as an effort to increase civic participation and “facilitate voting by all eligible citizens.” It sets out the duty in statute but expressly prohibits any fines, fees, or penalties for failing to vote.

Key provisions

  • Finds and declares context:
    • Cites Illinois constitutional goals for uniform election laws.
    • Estimates Illinois has fewer than 10,000,000 eligible voters; roughly 8.1 million registered and ~5.7 million voted in the 2024 general election.
    • Notes other countries (e.g., Australia) treat voting as a civic duty.
  • Main substantive section:
    • “All eligible citizens shall cast a ballot in every general election.”
    • An eligible citizen who casts a blank ballot in a general election satisfies the requirement.
    • No fine, fee, or penalty shall be assessed for failing to cast a ballot.

Who is affected

  • All persons who are legally eligible to vote in the state’s general elections.
  • Election administrators and outreach programs may be affected only to the extent this statute is used to guide civic education or encouragement efforts; because the law explicitly bars penalties, it does not impose administrative enforcement duties.

Procedural / timeline notes (as provided)

  • Introduced in the Illinois Senate by Sen. Omar Aquino (filed 01/31/2025).
  • Co-sponsors include Sen. Adriane Johnson (added 05/13/2025) and Sen. Graciela Guzmán (added 05/27/2025).
  • A companion bill: HB 2976.
  • The provided legislative action log appears to mix entries from multiple jurisdictions and bills with the same number; the core Illinois introduction and co-sponsor additions above are the clearest dated actions for this measure.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Because the bill forbids penalties, it functions primarily as a normative or declarative statute aimed at promoting voter participation rather than creating an enforceable compulsory-voting regime (unlike countries that impose fines).
  • Allowing blank ballots to satisfy the duty could affect how turnout statistics are interpreted but does not change ballot-counting mechanics (blank ballots are typically recorded but not counted for candidates).
  • Legal and constitutional questions could arise about the advisory vs. mandatory nature of the language; however, without enforcement mechanisms the practical legal impact is limited.
  • Implementation would likely focus on voter education and encouragement; no appropriation or administrative enforcement funding is specified in this text.

Note: The document supplied also included text from an unrelated Arizona appropriation bill (an appropriation of $3,000,000 and 43 FTE in FY2025–2026 to Arizona’s Department of Economic Security for Adult Protective Services). Those are separate measures that share the SB 1484 number in different jurisdictions.

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

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