Law will give Illinois students time to vote during school hours

Legislation has been signed which will allow students in Illinois to be excused from school for two hours to vote in a primary, general, special or any election in the state in which propositions are submitted to a popular vote.

Students can be excused to exercise their right to vote on a day in which early voting is offered or on the day of the election. 

Under the legislation, the school may specify the hours in which students may be excused.

Students from Thornton Fractional North High School and Thornton Fractional South High School brought the idea to State Senator Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, who worked with the Illinois General Assembly and State Rep. Nick Smith, D-Chicago, to pass the law. 

“With this new law, our voting-eligible young people will have the freedom to fit voting into their school day without fear of repercussion for engaging in the very civic education we should all be proud to encourage, said Gov. JB Pritzker.

The governor signed Senate Bill 1970 into law on Jan. 22 in Chicago. The bill takes effect on June 1.

“The young people who advocated for this legislation recognized how important it is not only to vote, but to make the act of voting as accessible for all who can vote as possible.”