Quinn Signs Special Election, Voter Registration Bills Into Law In Final Public Appearance As Governor
(CBS) -- In his final public appearance before leaving office, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law two bills that drew opposition from Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner and legislative Republicans.
One bill sets a November 2016 special election to fill out the term of the late state comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka.
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Topinka died suddenly last month. She was to begin her second term as comptroller Monday. Rauner has said he should have the right to appoint a successor for the entire four year term and has threatened to contest the new law in court.
The measure does not affect Rauner's decision to appoint businesswoman Leslie Munger to the first two years of Topinka's term.
In addition, several changes Illinois voters saw in November's election are here to stay. Quinn signed a bill making permanent rules allowing voters to register and cast ballots on the same day.
That extends what is known as grace-period voting through Election Day. Cook County Clerk David Orr, who supported the bill and attended the signing ceremony, said that in particular, it benefits people who have recently moved and have not been able to update their registrations. The law also increases the number of locations and days set aside for people to vote early if they cannot make it to the polls on Election Day.
The changes were tried as a pilot project in 2014 and were seen as a strategy by Democrats to increase turnout; Republicans have said they fear fraud. But voter numbers were down compared with past elections and the law was signed by the defeated Democratic incumbent.
