Illinois to defy Trump voter order for April election

CHICAGO (WGN) — The state of Illinois will defy President Trump’s executive order and will not require voters to present identification to receive a ballot in next month’s election.

President Trump earlier this week issued an executive order calling for all voters to provide proof of citizenship before receiving a ballot. It threatened to pull federal funding from states where election officials don’t comply.

In response, the Illinois State Board of Elections said voters will only have to sign a statement that they are a citizen as outlined under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Spokesman Matt Dietrich told Capitol News Illinois that the state does not require voters to show any ID when they vote.

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Republicans have defended that requirement as necessary to restore public confidence in elections. Voting in federal elections by noncitizens is already illegal and can result in felony charges and deportation.

Voting rights groups have expressed concerns that the requirement could disenfranchise people. An estimated 9% of U.S. citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of citizenship readily available, according to a 2023 report by the Brennan Center for Justice and other groups.

There are also concerns that married women who have changed their names will encounter trouble when trying to register because their birth certificates list their maiden names.

Many legal experts say the president’s order is likely to face strong legal challenges. Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution gives states the authority to determine the time, places and manner of holding elections, “but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of (choosing) Senators.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted Trump’s order hours after it was issued, calling it an “illegal, extreme, and dangerous attempt to take power away from the American people.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.