OFFICE of the SECRETARY of STATE - Dear Clerk/Board of Election Commissioner - Public Act 103-210 (House Bill 3882) Safeguards

Sep 29, 2026

Letter from Alexi Giannoulias, Secretary of State, dated July 12, 2024, addressing misinformation about Illinois Public Act 103-210 (House Bill 3882), effective July 1. It explains the purpose of improving road safety and reducing discrimination while describing SOS safeguards in DMV procedures. The letter asserts voter registration processing for TVDL applicants is omitted via system programming that blocks foreign passport or consular ID holders, non-citizens entered in a designated field, and applicants without Social Security numbers (SSN), including “non-SSN” records, with secondary document capture verification.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Specifically:

Programming prevents voter registration

Additional verification and DMV training

OFFICE of the SECRETARYof STATE Alexi Giannoulias·Secretary of State July 12,2024 Dear Clerk/Board of Election Commissioner, I'm writing to clarify some misinformation about a new law,which went into effect on July1 that involves driver's licenses and voter registration procedures at Illinois DMVfacilities. The goal of Public Act 103-210(House Bill 3882)is to improve road safety and reduceinstances of discrimination.In tandem with the pursuit of these goals,the Secretary ofState's office(SOS)also implemented new safequards to ensure only eliqible andqualified U.S.citizens can submit voter registration applications. The prominent purple banner reading "Not Valid for Identification"found on TVDLs oftendissuaded undocumented individuals from opting to get one.This led to more unlicensed drivers on Illinois roads who never took a vision test,a written driving test ora behind-the-wheel test,all of which are essential to ensuring a driver is fit to safelyoperate a vehicle.It also meant fewer drivers needing to show proof of insurance,whichis required to drive legally in Illinois. In terms of voter registration,the current procedures used by local election authorities toprocess voter registration applications completed at DMVs have not changed and donot chanae because of the new law.Various electronic protection measures are alreadvin place that fully omit the voter registration process for all TVDL applicants due to thefact that they are non-citizens. The SOS willcontinue to determine the citizenship status of all applicants for a standarddriver's license (DL)or state ID card.Standard DLs/IDs have long been issued to non-U.S.citizens who are lawfully present in the United States and who have been issuedsocial security numbers (SSNs).However,only U.S.citizens may apply to register tovote when applying for a DL/ID. But,under this new law,the ILSOS has included additional restrictions,adding severalmore verification checks to ensure non-U.S.citizens cannot apply to vote.It's importantto note that individuals applying to register to vote with their local county clerk orelection authoritv are not reauired to show proof of U.S.citizenship. # Specifically: ·Current programming on ILSOS computer systems prevents voter registration forapplicants who present either a foreign passport or a consular ID card,which isrequired for an undocumented Illinois resident to obtain a standard driver'slicense. ● Non-U.S.citizenship status is entered into a designated field on the computerscreen.Programming is in place so that entry of non-U.S.citizenship status inthe designated field prevents the voter registration process from launching. ·Programming is in place to prevent voter registration for any applicant individualswho do not have Social Security numbers (SSN). ● An identical “non-SSN”designation is assigned to all current TVDL holders andwill be assigned to each new applicant without current immigration documentswho is applying for a standard DL/ID.Programming is in place to prevent thevoter registration process from launching for any record with the non-SSN. ·Data from the foreign passport or consular card is also entered into a documentcapture screen as secondary verification of non-citizenship status. In addition,we have notified employees at all 138 DMV facilities throughout the state toalert them to the new law and safeguards and trained them to properly processapplications. Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions. Sincerely, Senior Legal AdvisorIllinois Secretary of State

FAQs

What law does the letter address, and when did it take effect?

The letter addresses Illinois Public Act 103-210 (House Bill 3882), which went into effect on July 1.

How does the SOS’s computer programming affect voter registration at DMV facilities?

Programming prevents voter registration from launching for applicants presenting a foreign passport or consular ID, for records marked with non-U.S. citizenship in a designated field, and for applicants without Social Security numbers (SSN).

Are local election authorities required to verify U.S. citizenship for voter registration applications submitted through county clerks?

The letter states that individuals applying to register to vote with their local county clerk or election authority are not required to show proof of U.S. citizenship.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan