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RandySF

(58,911 posts) Sun Jan 26, 2020, 01:39 PM Jan 2020

New law will allow Illinois students to miss school to vote

Students in Illinois will no longer have to worry about potential repercussions of missing class in order to vote, starting with the November general election.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Wednesday that allows students to be excused from school for up to two hours to vote in primary, general and special elections or any election in which propositions are submitted to a popular vote, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Students may be excused on Election Day or any day that early voting is offered. Although, the law allows for schools to set specific hours when students may be excused.

A group of high school students from Thornton Fractional North and Thornton Fractional South high schools brought the idea to state Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, who worked with others in the General Assembly, including state Rep. Nick Smith D-Chicago, to pass it into law, according to the release.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-illinois-students-voting-pritzker-20200123-hnio4woc5fajhb5t2dbyiplzfe-story.html

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New law will allow Illinois students to miss school to vote (Original Post) RandySF Jan 2020 OP

There's A Huge "Yeah, But..." Here! ProfessorGAC Jan 2020 #1

Ah, so election day will be Igel Jan 2020 #2

ProfessorGAC

(65,076 posts)

1. There's A Huge "Yeah, But..." Here!

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Sun Jan 26, 2020, 02:01 PM

Jan 2020

Here in Illinois, the age cut off is December 1st. So unless a student got held back at some point, nobody turns 18 until at least that date.
General elections in IL for fed & state offices are in November
Mayoral & council elections are in April, so there's that. And the primaries are often late enough in the year that seniors are gliding in for a landing. A huge % of schools would likely OK a legal adult to miss a class to vote.
Last, polls stay open until 7 pm. Schools here let out between 245 and 330. So there's little stopping young folks from voting without this law.
I applaud the youngsters who were civic minded enough to think of it, but I don't think this law accomplishes much.

Igel

(35,320 posts)

2. Ah, so election day will be

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Sun Jan 26, 2020, 03:11 PM

Jan 2020

early release or late arrival for seniors in Illinois.

Do they have to provide evidence of voting that's tied to them, or do they just say, "I voted. Prove I didn't."

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