1509 E. 53rd Street, 2nd Floor. Chicago, Illinois 60615. (773) 363-1996 Office. (773) 681-7166 Fax senatorraoul@sbcgloba
Illinois State Senate Capitol Office: 123 Capitol Building Springfield, Illinois 62706 (217) 782-5338 Office (217) 558-6006 Fax
[email protected]
District Office: 1509 E. 53rd Street, 2nd Floor Chicago, Illinois 60615 (773) 363-1996 Office (773) 681-7166 Fax
[email protected]
Kwame Raoul
State Senator · 13th District Steve Sandvoss Executive Director, Illinois State Board of Elections 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield IL, 62704 Executive Director Sandvoss: I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the participation of the Illinois State Board of Elections (SBE) in the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck System. First, I want to thank you for refusing to comply with the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity’s request for Illinois voter information. I truly believe it is the Commission and Kris Kobach’s intent to misrepresent voter registration data and promote policies that suppress the vote, disenfranchise low-income and minority voters and continue the false claim that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election. I also want to express my concerns about the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck System, also founded and administered by Kris Kobach, and request that the Board immediately discontinue any participation with this program. The Crosscheck System is designed to share voter registration information, in part to determine if someone is registered to vote in multiple states. Without proper verification, this could lead to a false match, which could lead to legitimate voters being removed from voter rolls. Additionally, due to the System’s administration, I fear the Crosscheck System could be used as another tool to intentionally suppress voters. I also fear that sharing voter information with the Crosscheck System could put Illinois voters’ personal information at risk. Sharing their information – such as full name, address, date of birth and last four digits of their social security number – across state lines puts them at risk of cyberattacks. We learned during the election last year that states’ voter records can be a target of hackers and foreign actors. We should not put our citizens’ personal information at risk. When the Board meets next month, I hope members will carefully examine the problems with the Crosscheck System and consider withdrawing our state’s participation with it. Our state’s citizens must know that their right to vote and their personal information are being protected. Sincerely,
Kwame Raoul State Senator, 13th District Committees: Judiciary (Chair), Restorative Justice (Chair), Criminal Law (Vice Chair) Executive, Energy and Public Utilities, Public Health
