Claim:
That County Board Chair Corinne Pierog supports allowing undocumented immigrants to vote in local elections and has been working to change voter eligibility rules behind the scenes.
Facts:
Under both Illinois law and federal law, only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in local, state, and federal elections.
Chair Pierog and other officials have consistently stated that the County Board does not have the legal authority to alter voter eligibility. The Kane County Democratic Party called the accusations “unequivocally false” and described them as politically motivated. Independent election authorities have confirmed that non-citizen voting is illegal in Illinois, and there is no local effort to change that.
Actions:
In early 2024, Board Member David Young introduced a resolution opposing non-citizen voting. When the resolution did not advance through committee, some critics used that as supposed evidence of a hidden agenda.
Reality:
In Illinois all voting in public elections is restricted to U.S. citizens.
Some municipalities and states in the U.S.—such as a few in Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.— do allow non-citizens, including undocumented residents, to vote in certain local elections, such as for school board or city council. These exceptions are legal under those state constitutions and apply only within very limited jurisdictions.
Moving Forward:
As Kane County prepares for the upcoming primary and 2026 midterm elections, officials and civic organizations are encouraging residents to rely on verified, nonpartisan information. False claims about voter fraud or non-citizen participation continue to circulate nationally, increasing pressure on election workers and contributing to political polarization at the local level.
Additional Resources
- Illinois Election Code – Illinois General Assembly
- Noncitizen Voting Laws – National Conference of State Legislatures
- Where Non-Citizens Can Vote – League of Women Voters
- United Sovereign America Legal Activity – Brennan Center for Justice
- Republican Election Officials Under Pressure – Associated Press
- Kane County Clerk’s Office
