Illinois passes law letting 17-year-olds vote in primaries

Illinois passes law letting 17-year-olds vote in primaries

By Cheryl K. Chumley
The Washington Times
Thursday, July 4, 2013

Come Jan. 1, 2014, 17-year-olds in Illinois will be allowed to vote in primary elections.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill into law on Wednesday giving the minors the right to cast primary ballots, so long as they will turn 18-years-old by the time the general election rolls around, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Rep. Carol Sente, the Democrat who sponsored the bill, said the allowance was “only fair” because 18-year-olds “are already voting for candidates in the general election,” United Press International reported.
Illinois is hardly the only state to give 17-year-olds the right to vote in primaries. Nearly 20 other states give minors varying degrees of ballot access, UPI reported.
In Illinois, the voting law takes effect in the New Year.

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