Parents sound alarm over Illinois high school voter registration bill
[February 05, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A proposal backed by Illinois Democrats to expand
voter registration opportunities for high school students is raising
concerns among some parents and education advocates, who argue the
measure could add strain to already overburdened schools and open the
door to partisan influence.
House Bill 4339 is known as the Jesse Jackson, Sr., Young Voter
Empowerment Law, would require public high schools to offer voter
registration to eligible students before graduation, a move supporters
say would boost civic engagement.
In a social media post the bill’s sponsor State Rep. Kim du Buclet,
D-Chicago, said, “Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., is a trailblazer, pioneer,
and icon whose life’s work has been rooted in the fight for voting
rights and democracy. Illinois now has a chance to honor that legacy
through HB 4339. If passed, the bill would require Illinois high schools
to provide students with the opportunity to register to vote; voluntary,
nonpartisan, and student-centered. As I mentioned earlier today, we're
not telling students who to vote for or what to vote for. We’re just
asking them to register to vote.”
But Marsha McClary, chair of Moms for Liberty Lake County, warned the
proposal could burden schools and duplicate existing state programs.
“In general, this is just another thing schools are being asked to do,”
McClary told TCS. “Administrators will tell you they’re overwhelmed. The
focus really needs to be on academics.”
Illinois already allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote
through the secretary of state’s office when getting a driver’s license
or state ID. McClary said most students will have already encountered
voter registration through that process, making the new mandate largely
redundant.
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“That interaction at the DMV works fine,” she said. “They ask, the
student can say yes or no, and that’s it. Schools aren’t equipped
with that same infrastructure.”
McClary said her concerns center on whether organizations involved
in administering voter registration in schools would truly remain
nonpartisan. McClary pointed to groups such as the League of Women
Voters, which are often described as nonpartisan but are widely
viewed as left-leaning, raising questions about whether subtle
political messaging or influence could accompany the registration
process.
“If schools don’t have a mechanism in place, a third party will
probably be brought in, and that’s where parents are going to have
the biggest concerns,” she said. “Are these groups truly
nonpartisan? What happens to students’ information and email
addresses after they sign up?”
McClary questioned the timing and motivation behind the proposal.
“My guess is they want this pushed through quickly because of the
midterm elections,” she said.
She noted ongoing scrutiny nationwide over colleges and universities
allegedly sharing student data with partisan voter outreach groups,
calling it a cautionary example for K-12 schools.
A former GOP candidate for state Senate, Desi Anderson, filed a
complaint with the U.S. Department of Education alleging Illinois
State University violated federal privacy laws by sharing student
data with election-related groups without consent.
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