By: Blake Andonov, Government Affairs Associate
Since 2022, IEC has been working with Chicago-based non-profit Chicago Votes to restore voting power to people in Illinois’ prisons. You might be wondering, “Why?” or “What’s the connection?” Well, at IEC, we believe that when people in prison are not allowed to exercise their right to vote, the communities they come from do not have an equal voice in laws that directly affect them and their families. That’s why we’re working to address this issue by building support for and ultimately passing the Reintegration and Civic Empowerment or “RACE” Act (SB 1733).
[WEBINAR] You’re invited to an IEC Lunch & Learn co-hosted by Chicago Votes on April 10th! During this webinar, you will learn about ways to get involved and hear from the advocates that have been at the forefront of this important movement. Register now!
Restoring Participation in Democracy
While Illinois has some of the strongest voter registration laws in the country, arcane laws passed during the Jim Crow era still disenfranchise people in prisons, which disproportionately restricts voting access in BIPOC communities. Consequently, these communities are prevented from holding power by electing leaders that represent them.
Expanding democracy in Illinois is not only good for people, but our environment as well. We have seen that when marginalized communities are empowered, environmental protections become more possible.
An Incomplete Environmental Movement
We often ask the environmental movement to celebrate the leadership demonstrated by our state’s decision-makers. And, when needed, we seek to hold decision-makers accountable for their actions that don’t prioritize the environmental needs of Illinois’ diverse communities.
In Illinois, nearly 29,000 individuals are currently incarcerated, and a majority of them are people of color. That’s a lot of people who don’t get to celebrate or hold our decision-makers accountable. That’s a lot of people who don’t have a voice in deciding the policies that ultimately affect them and the communities to which they belong.
Environmental, Racial, and Economic Justice
Through our work on this issue, IEC aims to increase lawmakers’ awareness of how democracy policy and criminal justice reform also reflect the values of the environmental movement. Institutionalized racism through practices like redlining and the siting of pollution-emitting facilities within these areas perpetuates negative public health impacts for Illinois’ most vulnerable communities. Restricted access to the ballot box only helps perpetuate these harms, and we will show policymakers that environmental justice and voting access are intrinsically linked and cannot be separated.
Every Vote—and Voice—Counted
In the long term, passage of the RACE Act would represent advancement of several of the goals articulated in the Allyship & Powerbuilding section of our IEC Policy Platform, including:
- Support criminal justice reforms and economic justice policies that increase participation in democracy and the green economy within historically under-resourced communities.
- Support policies that eliminate barriers to voting in free and fair elections where every vote is counted.
Register for our upcoming webinar, Voting and the Environment: the RACE Act. Take a deeper dive into why expanding democracy in Illinois is not only good for people, but our environment as well.
Learn more about the relationship between environmental justice, clean water, and voting access. At IEC, we believe EVERYONE deserves access to clean water. But did you know that those in prison often face unique hurdles when it comes to clean water access?
In this Lunch & Learn, we explore water quality issues in Illinois prisons and why those in prison need robust enforcement of clean drinking water.
About the Author
Blake Andonov joined the Illinois Environmental Council in the Spring of 2023 as the Government Affairs Assistant. Prior to joining IEC, Blake worked in the Clerk’s Office for the Illinois House of Representatives as the Information Resource Clerk, gaining key experience interfacing with legislators directly on the House Floor and in committees. He joined IEC so he could work directly with legislators to influence environmental legislation.