Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Supports the RACE Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2025
CONTACT:
Zindy Marquez
Director of Communications
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
312.202.3657 (office)
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Supports the RACE Act
The Reintegration and Civic Empowerment Act would restore voting rights for our incarcerated community members
CHICAGO, IL: For many years, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights has worked alongside Chicago Votes and a growing coalition of advocates to restore voting rights to all people incarcerated in Illinois. Our nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has supported this coalition through legal research, advocacy, and legislative drafting. We were proud to help incarcerated and returning community members write and pass the “Civics in Prison” bill in 2019 and have since worked with DePaul University, Chicago Votes, and Illinois Department of Corrections to train peer educators who lead nonpartisan civics workshops for our incarcerated community members. We also helped pass the “Voting in Jail” bill in 2019 and, since then, have advocated for the strong enforcement of that law and have protected voting rights onsite for voters in pretrial detention.
Most recently, we supported Chicago Votes and the Unlock Civics coalition in drafting the Reintegration and Civic Empowerment (RACE) Act (SB 1733), which would expand civics education and restore voting rights to incarcerated people 14 days following their conviction.
The RACE Act gained momentum this year, but unfortunately faces a block related to erroneous concerns about the bill’s constitutionality. The Illinois Constitution clearly states that those convicted of a felony or serving a sentence must have their right to vote restored “not later than” the completion of that person’s sentence. The plain language of the Constitution allows the Illinois General Assembly to determine when and how voting rights may be restored.
The RACE Act is lawful and constitutional. Our own legal analysis, as well as input from experts and constitutional scholars, supports our rationale. It is urgent that the Illinois General Assembly pass the RACE Act because continuing to deny voting rights to nearly 35,000 people in Illinois prisons is harmful to our democracy.
Illinois is facing the opportunity to join others like Maine, Vermont, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico in allowing incarcerated community members to vote. It’s time for Illinois to set an example for other states and continue its reputation as a leader in voter access and election innovations.
The RACE Act deserves a vote and the people of Illinois deserve a democracy that includes us all.
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Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is a non-partisan, non-profit group of civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and we collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights. For more information, visit www.clccrul.org or call (312) 630-9744.