Giannoulias, 50, who is running for a second term as secretary of state in November, will simultaneously enter the contest to be Chicago’s 58th mayor.

Candidates will hit the street to gather thousands of autographs from registered voters a month earlier than aspiring candidates did four years ago, the last time all 50 alderpeople, the mayor, city clerk and city treasurer faced voters.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office will provide blue envelopes free of charge at DMV facilities and participating law enforcement agencies across the state, according to Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. The statewide blue envelope program officially launches January 1, 2027.

The minimum age for a driving test will be raised from 79 to 87, although drivers 79 and older will still be required to take a vision test, and if they have a driving violation, a written test.

Senate Bill 3336 would establish regulations on “micromobility” transportation such as e-bikes and e-scooters that include age requirements, speed limits and rules on where they can be operated.

Illinois law hasn’t kept pace with the introduction of high-speed e-bikes, e-scooters and other “micromobility” devices. Officials are trying to catch up.

Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable document, such as a passport, will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, TSA announced earlier this week.

Starting Wednesday, Illinois residents will be able to add their Illinois-issued driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet. The Mobile ID program will also “soon” expand to Google and Samsung wallets, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

After passing an emissions test, motorists can purchase their vehicle registration sticker at the DMV’s annex building without having to pay the additional $9.50 charged by outside vendors, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias raised concerns and announced Monday that an audit found Customs and Border Protection had accessed Illinois data, although he didn’t say that the agency was seeking immigration-related information. A 2023 law the Democrat pushed bars sharing license plate data with police investigating out-of-state abortions or undocumented immigrants.

The pilot is a partnership between the Illinois secretary of state and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Motorists are expected to test vehicle emissions every two years for cars older than four years.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced an advocacy campaign Wednesday aimed at ending the practice of insurance companies using socioeconomic data — such as credit scores and ZIP codes — to set car insurance rates.

“Libraries are so much more than books,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said. “They offer things like job searching and training courses, literacy support, de facto child care for working parents, language instruction, and most of all, welcoming and inclusive public spaces for the community.”

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias asked the attorney general to review the matter. He also is creating an audit system to ensure police departments don’t run afoul of a 2023 law banning the distribution of license-plate data to track women seeking abortions or to find undocumented immigrants.

As Illinois residents scrambled to meet the Real ID deadline, many instead ran into long lines, appointment shortages and confusing documentation rules. Public records reveal widespread frustration — especially among seniors — as the rollout strained DMV systems across the state.

The Secretary of State’s Office is seeing “ridiculously long lines” at DMVs of residents who incorrectly think the office will stop issuing Real IDs after May 7, according to Alexi Giannoulias.