By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation that would require local election authorities to report election data in a standardized format statewide, a move supporters say would improve efficiency and consistency, but critics warn could open the door to greater state oversight of local election administration.

Senate Bill 3057, sponsored by Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, would standardize how local election authorities format and submit election data already required by law. The proposal does not expand what data is reported but aims to resolve long-standing inconsistencies among Illinois’ 108 election authorities in how that information is submitted to the state.

“When one jurisdiction uses three lowercase letters and another uses three uppercase letters, it creates problems,” she said. “This helps them all be on the same page.”

Turner dismissed concerns that standardizing election data could centralize control or limit local flexibility, emphasizing that the bill deals only with how data is formatted, not how elections are run or policies are set.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with centralizing elections,” Turner said. “It’s just uniformity, how the data is entered so that when it comes into the system, it all lines up.”

The bill also does not mandate audits, Turner said, though she acknowledged that standardized data could make future audits easier and more efficient.

Turner said standardization will help election officials more easily detect errors and streamline data management.

“When all the information comes in the same format, it’s clearer, easier to read, and easier to audit,” she said. “This ensures the data is reliable and improves overall election integrity.”

Cost concerns have surfaced, particularly for rural counties with limited resources. However, both Turner and the board said no new expenses are expected.

Many election vendors already provide software updates to meet state requirements, and system modifications are anticipated as part of the state board’s ongoing efforts to modernize the voter registration system.

“Generally, as a clerk, when you have a contract with an election vendor, updates and changes to meet the State Board of Elections’ requirements are already included in what you pay,” said Turner. “So, there shouldn’t be any additional costs for election authorities because many vendors are already handling these updates.”

The board told TCS that “no system modifications and/or additional costs are anticipated.”

Under SB 3057, standardized reporting would begin ahead of the 2028 general primary election, with data required to be submitted at least 75 days before each election.

Turner noted that the bill does not change what data is collected, only how it is recorded.