North Cook News

Illinois state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) gets no satisfaction from being proved correct about the Automatic Voters Registration (AVR) system, which has mistakenly registered hundreds of non-citizens.

“This was a predictable outcome and it's why many of us voted against the bill,” Morrison told the North Cook News. “There are too many opportunities for either willful or careless registering of individuals to vote who don’t have the legal right to do so. And when that happens, it has the possibility of negating legitimate voters.”

Several media outlets have reported the AVR system run by the Secretary of State’s Office registered at least 574 non-citizens to vote, with some of them actually casting ballots as recently as in 2018. The program works by registering everyone who receives a new Illinois driver’s license or state ID card.

Of the 574 non-citizens registered, the Illinois Board of Elections has confirmed at least 19 of them are known to have cast ballots in the 2018 elections.

“That is flat out wrong,” Morrison said. “Some elections have been extremely close and circumstances like this further throw into question the integrity of the process.”

GOP lawmakers are calling for a full investigation into how the program went awry and how so many individuals came to have voting credentials they never should have. Morrison argues that should only be the start.

“The legislature should pass and the governor should sign legislation that tightens up the registration and voting process to ensure that only those entitled to vote can do so,” he said.

Now in his ninth year of serving the 54th District, Morrison serves on the House Economic Justice and Equity Committee, the Elementary & Secondary Education Charter School Policy Committee, Environment Committee, Insurance: Health & Life Committee, and Personnel & Pensions Committee.