New Law Allows Some 17-Year Olds To Vote in Primaries

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a law that allows some 17-year-olds in the state to vote in primary elections.

According to the measure, if the teenager will be 18 by the General Election, they can vote in the primary.

Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten said younger voters are least likely to head to the polls, but he said any effort to drive up participation is a good thing.
 
“If this in fact encourages people at a young age to begin participating to begin to get in the habit of voting, I think it’s a wonderful and a step in the right direction," he said. "And it makes sense that if somebody is going to be old enough to vote in the general election, it only makes sense to give them a choice in who the candidates are that will appear on the ballot in the General Election.”

Hulten said his office already communicates with all the high schools in Champaign County about voter registration.

 The law takes effect at the start of next year.