Voter policies were discussed on campus Wednesday morning when Secretary of State Jesse White, State Senator Mike Frerichs, D-52, and State Representative Naomi Jakobsson, D-103, all joined together at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs on Nevada Street. 

White opened up the event discussing the fact that when people want to vote, they go to the Secretary of State’s office. 

“I believe that if you don’t vote, you lose your right to complain about anything in society,” White said. “The streets that you walk on, the medicines that you consume, the schools that you attend, the clothes that you buy, someone in the government has had something to say about those issues and more.”

He then introduced the two issues that would be discussed that day, whether a 17-year-old who will be old enough to vote in an election should be allowed to vote during the primaries, and electronic voting. Gov. Pat Quinn officially signed the bill on electronic voting Saturday.  

Jakobsson then spoke on the issues saying that the bills were very important to her and for the state. She added that she has “worked endlessly” to help students on campus vote with getting registered and changing their address from year to year if they move to different apartments. 

“If while they’re 17 and they’re going to be 18 in time to vote, it’s really important to let those people participate in our democracy right away in the upcoming primary so that they can help shape the general election as well as participate in it,” Jakobsson said. “This is something that I have always thought was a good idea.”

She also showed her support for the online voter registration saying that anyone who wants to vote should be able to do so in the quickest and easiest way possible. 

Frerichs then spoke on how he and Jakobsson have worked on many voter-registration laws saying that if we want to improve the state, we have to improve voter participation.

“I think (one of) two good ways of doing that is making sure that young people vote,” Frerichs said. “If you’re 17-years-old and you know you’re going to be able to vote in that general election, you should have a say in who that party nominee is.”

He also pointed out that 10 other states in the nation do it, including Illinois neighbors Indiana and Kentucky. 

“It shows that young people want to participate and it’s time for Illinois to join in,” Frerichs said. 

For online registration, Frerichs said that with everything going online these days, it’s good to get voter registration online too. 

“There will be some people who will object and say that we need safe-guards in place,” he said. “But once again, Illinois is not taking the lead on this, other states have done this before us and other states have shown how to do it without voter fraud.” 

The officials then turned it over to questions where it was asked of White what the state will be doing to get the word out to high school students that they can vote in the primaries if they will be 18 years old by the election.

White said that the media will be playing a big role in this, saying that if students are watching, listening or reading the news, they will know about this. He also said that another way of getting the word out is that offices of the Secretary of State will have brochures on 17-year-olds being able to vote. 

Jakobsson also added that senators and representatives who travel around during the primaries will be reminding the audience that 17-year-olds who will be old enough by the election that they can vote. 

Frerichs also believed that school officials who are aware of political actions will also be reminding students. 

White and Frerichs said that these laws will be in effect in January in time for the March 2014 primaries.  

Kat can be reached at [email protected].