On May 15, the Illinois legislature passed HB 226. It says that 17-year-olds can register to vote in advance of any primary, if they will be age 18 by the time of the general election. Because the Illinois primary, for state and federal office, is always in March, the bill means that a majority of 17-year-olds will be able to vote in future primaries. There are other states with similar provisions, but all the other such states have a shorter time interval between the primary and the general.

Although Governor Pat Quinn hasn’t signed the bill yet, he has said he supports the idea. One consequence of this bill will be that 17-year-olds who register will also be able to sign petitions. It appears that they won’t be permitted to circulate petitions, however.