Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision Shows Urgency Needed to Pass State-Level Protections for Illinois Voters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026
Contact:
Zindy Marquez
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision Shows Urgency Needed to Pass State-Level Protections for Illinois Voters
Lawmakers must pass the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 (SB3170) to protect voters from eroding federal voting protections
SPRINGFIELD, IL (April 30, 2026) — Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais eviscerates our nation’s most sacred civil rights protection, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, making it harder for voters, particularly Black and Latine voters, to challenge racial discrimination and vote dilution. Although Illinois lawmakers declined to advance HJRCA28, a constitutional amendment aimed at protecting voters in state legislative and representative redistricting, many other states have already taken action to safeguard voters from ongoing threats to federal voting rights by passing comprehensive state voting rights acts—without amending their constitutions. It’s time for Illinois to join them by enacting SB3170, the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 (ILVRA).
In light of Callais, there is now greater urgency than ever before for Illinois lawmakers to pass the ILVRA, giving voters the nation’s leading anti-discrimination tools and protections they need to combat vote dilution, voter suppression, and language barriers. In recent years, Illinois has fallen behind other states that have fought back against the federal erosion of voting rights protections and have passed robust state voting rights acts, including in Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington, California, Virginia, and New York. Many other states are moving forward comprehensive state-level voting rights act legislation, including New Jersey, Michigan, and most recently Maryland.
The ILVRA secures important voting protections for Illinois voters, such as:
adding protections for communities of color during remapping;
adding additional protections for other election administration changes that could negatively affect voters; and
expanding language assistance requirements to bridge gaps under federal law.
More than a decade ago, Illinois lawmakers enacted a statute called the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011, but this law does not include any of the ILVRA’s or other state’s VRA’s key elements to protect Black, Brown, and Asian American voters and voters whose first language is not English. In recent years, the barriers to vote have increased as U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Callais, have gutted and eroded the federal Voting Rights Act’s essential protections. It is time for Illinois to have its own robust and fully effected state-level Voting Rights Act.
“With this Supreme Court decision, there is even greater urgency than ever before for Illinois to lead the country in voting rights and enact a state voting rights act. Illinois should be leading the country in voting rights not lagging behind most states that have passed legislation. Without the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026, communities of color will continue to be left vulnerable to voter dilution and voter suppression,” said Rod Wilson, Executive Director with the Lugenia Burns Hope Center. “Black voters and other voters of color deserve to elect candidates of their choice and have their voices heard in our democracy. It’s time for Illinois to meet the moment and pass these critical voter protections into state law.”
“Illinois lags far behind other states that have already passed broad, bold, voting rights protections through state voting rights acts in the face of the continued erosion of federal voting protections, including with today’s decision in Callais. Illinois must step up to protect voters and has the opportunity to do that this legislative session by passing the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026,” said Conner Kozisek, Program Counsel with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “The ILVRA would codify and strengthen key protections of the federal Voting Rights Act at the state level and help ensure that voters in Illinois are protected from discrimination in voting. We must fight for the future of our multiracial democracy and passing the ILVRA is the first step.”
“The proposed constitutional amendment not moving forward in addition to the Callais decision fundamentally changes the urgency of this legislative session. Voters are demanding that elected officials meet the current moment and protect our multiracial democracy. We urge state lawmakers to pass the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 to protect voters against vote dilution, voter suppression, and strengthen language access at the polls,” said Ryan Tolley, Executive Director with CHANGE Illinois.
"Yesterday’s decision was a disastrous blow for Black voters in Louisiana and across the country as the Supreme Court, in all but name, eliminated the most crucial safeguard against racial discrimination in voting,” said Christina Das, Policy Counsel for the Legal Defense Fund. “Illinois voters deserve to have a seat at the table and, given the overwhelming obstacles, it’s more pivotal than ever that their voices be heard. Passing the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 is an essential step forward as the Supreme Court rolls back over 60 years of voter protections.”
“In the face of continued erosion of federal voting protections, Illinois voters cannot wait. We need the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 to protect our communities and ensure their voices are heard in our democracy—the constitutional amendment alone is not enough,” said Robin Carey-Boyd, President with the NAACP of East St. Louis.
The threats to our democracy and voters' voices are real and need to be met with bold and strong voter protections. To strongly combat these threats, lawmakers have the proposed ILVRA in front of them that is backed by community-based organizations and voting rights advocacy groups across the state after years of research and legal analysis that went into drafting this strong legislation aimed at delivering full protections for Illinois voters.
The Illinois Voting Rights Act coalition urges lawmakers to pass the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026—anything short of that in the wake of this Supreme Court decision leaves Illinois voters without the full protections they deserve.
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Illinois Voting Rights Coalition
The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 is supported by a broad, nonpartisan coalition of civil rights, voting rights, disability justice, faith-based, and community organizations across Illinois. Its steering committee includes Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights; Lugenia Burns Hope Center; CHANGE Illinois; NAACP East St. Louis Branch; and NAACP Legal Defense Fund.