Taking a stand for fair and secure elections, State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) spoke on the floor of the Illinois Senate opposing a dangerous measure which creates numerous loopholes to be exploited within the vote-by-mail program in Illinois.
Senate Bill 1863 is an election omnibus bill which expands the current vote-by-mail program in Illinois by mandating election authorities to send ballot applications to voters who took part in elections in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“It is a shame that during this time of crisis, when there should be unity and people working together, the Senate Democrats have shamelessly passed the most extreme election law in the country,” said Sen. Plummer. “Our state government should accept the responsibility of adapting transparent and secure protocols for upholding our voter’s rights, not legalizing blatant election fraud.”
Sen. Plummer took to the Senate floor to denounce the actions of Senate Democrats for using the COVID-19 to push a partisan agenda that raises numerous concerns for anyone that cares about the integrity of our election process. Plummer noted this new legislation allows votes to be generated from ballots with no signature, ballots with mismatched signatures, ballots that have been tampered with and even allows the potential for people to vote multiple times in one election. He also pointed out that many election authorities around the state that conduct our elections are opposed to the bill, were not consulted on the bill and have been threatened with punitive action if they object to any portions of the bill.
“I have been contacted by a number of election authorities in my District and from around the state, voicing their concerns about this bill,” said Sen. Plummer. “Everybody wants robust elections. Everybody wants people to vote. But nobody should want corruption of our democratic process.”
Under Senate Bill 1863, a panel of three partisan election judges can conduct reviews of ballots submitted by mail. However, Sen. Plummer points out that this legislation increases the likelihood of abuse within this system and creates more loopholes for unethical actors to exploit.
“After weeks of calling for a return of lawmakers to the Capitol, and while people are hurting across the state, are we standing up to protect our healthcare providers, speaking out against a governor who threatens our law enforcement and small businesses or addressing the current financial crisis? No,” said Sen. Plummer. “What we’re doing is watching as one party uses this crisis as a cover to advance a shocking election law bill and push a partisan agenda when the citizens of our state are seeking unity and bipartisanship.”
Senate Bill 1863 passed the Senate by a vote of 37 to 19 on May 22.