SPRINGFIELD – After co-sponsoring an election package that would send a vote by mail application to registered voters who participated in elections within the last two years, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) released the following statement:

“Participation in our democracy is the right of every citizen and must be preserved. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, voters deserve to be able to cast their ballots from the safety of their homes. No one should have to risk their health to exercise our most basic political rights.

“Mail ballots have been used in Illinois for years and have been proven to be a safe means for casting your vote. The pandemic has posed challenges to us at every turn, but we have taken measures in our schools, our stores, and our communities to meet them. It’s time we do the same for our elections.”