Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is determined to fight age discrimination on behalf of senior citizens and has gotten to work on a number of issues.
At the invitation of Ald. Marty Quinn, Giannoulias spoke to the 13th Ward’s Senior Advisory Council members about skyrocketing auto insurance rates, mandatory behind-the-wheel testing and senior-only DMV Centers.
Giannoulias said insurance companies discriminate against senior citizens by charging more for auto insurance than some wealthy people.
He also addressed what he said was voter suppression attempts by the White House in Illinois and other states.
High auto insurance rates.
Giannoulias said a review showed seniors faced skyrocketing auto insurance rates.
“We looked at some of the data and what we saw is that people were being charged more for their car insurance, not based on their driving record but on socioeconomic factors [like ZIP codes, age and credit score],” he said.
An informal study paid for by the Secretary of State’s Office found persons guilty of a DUI, living in wealthy suburbs or more affluent neighborhoods pay, “in almost every instance,” less for car insurance, Giannoulias said.
In contrast, a person in a less affluent neighborhood or ZIP code with a poor credit rating and with a “perfect driving record” pays more, he said. He questioned the relevance of using a person’s credit score related to car insurance.
“So, we tried to pass legislation and I was a little naive,” Giannoulias said. “I didn’t realize how powerful these insurance companies are. By the way, they’re all headquartered in Illinois, which makes it even tougher.”
Legislation to study auto insurance rate factors never made it anywhere.
“That’s when my antenna went up,” Giannoulias said. “If they don’t want to study [this], something is going on.”
This thought prompted him to go directly to the people to ask for help to reduce high insurance rates, and the state’s Driving Change program was born.
“We are in this fight … ” Giannoulias said. “If you notice this is happening to you based on your age or credit score, even though seniors are our safest drivers, please go to our Driving Change [website] to tell your story and call your state senator or representative.”
He plans to go back to the legislature this year with the peoples’ testimony on the issue.
People are finding ways to outfox the insurance companies.
Some people are registering vehicles in a family member’s name who live in a wealthier neighborhood or under a person’s name with a better credit rating to drastically reduce vehicle insurance rates, he said.
Other drivers have been forgoing auto insurance altogether.
“This has become so expensive that a lot of people have stopped getting car insurance, which is very dangerous for everyone,” he said. “We found that last year alone, 612,000 people in Illinois were driving without car insurance.”
Such discrimination is a social justice, economic and road safety issue, Giannoulias said.
Audience member Mary Kay Rosado asked what was being done about uninsured drivers.
“Well, it’s illegal, so we’re enforcing the law,” Giannoulias said. “They can’t get their driver’s license or license plates.”
Voting.
As for overseeing elections and protecting the democratic process of voting, the Illinois State Board of Elections oversees the voting process, Giannoulias said.
Spreading the truth in the face of White House allegations of widespread voter fraud in the U.S. is a mission for Giannoulias.
“I’m not saying this as a Democrat or a Republican,” he said. “Voter fraud doesn’t exist in America. That’s a fact. That is data.”
“That is very important for me to say out loud because when people start losing trust in the process they don’t vote. If we can’t get election judges to come out, the whole process falls apart and our democracy is over,” Giannoulias said.
Nationalization of elections and sending members of the Department of Justice to Cook County is admittedly scary, he said.
A July 2025 letter sent from the U.S. Department of Justice to the Illinois State Board of Elections requested the entire voter file for the State of Illinois, according to Capitol News Illinois.
The file contains sensitive data on Illinois voters such as driver’s license and social security numbers and dates of birth.
Illinois Board of Elections’ general counsel Marni M. Malowitz denied the request in September citing multiple stipulations in federal and state law that restrict sharing voters’ sensitive data, according to a September 2025 story by Fox News.
Giannolias assured the audience their votes were safe.
Safeguards are already in place with Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s plans to send lawyers to observe November 2026 election polling places, Giannoulias said.
“What a tremendous waste of resources that taxpayers are going to pay for lawyers [at polling places] because of this rhetoric coming out of the White House,” he said. “I am deeply offended.”
He related a story about his father, taking him and his two brothers along when he voted, insisting they wear suits and ties to drive home the gravity and importance of voting.
“Voting and voter integrity is incredibly important to me as an American,” Giannoulias said. “It’s another reminder that everyone should be involved and go out and vote. My fear is what they’re trying to do is suppress the vote.”
Mandatory road testing change.
13th Ward resident Sophie Zellak, 87, said she was unhappy having to take a driving road test every year.
“Having a good driving record, we still have to go every year for a test,” she said. “That’s the only thing that bothers me. I’ve been driving since 1968 and I’ve only had one small accident.”
“Everyone says seniors aren’t safe drivers and I think that’s not true. I know my Mom, who’s 81, drives very safely,” he said.
Legislators asked the Secretary of State’s office to do a study on senior citizen driving abilities.
The 2023 “Study on Age-Related Driving Abilities” shows that seniors were among the safest drivers in the state.
As a result, a state law lifted the driving requirement.
“Starting July 1, 2026, you will no longer be required to take a driving test just because of your age,” he said. “You will still be required to take your eye exam.”
The new law also includes a process for “immediate” family members to report to the Secretary of State, a family member’s medical condition that could cause unsafe driving.
Senior only DMV facilities.
“We thought it would be a great idea to create senior-only facilities,” Giannoulias said. “We worked with our community partners to find places that would not charge us rent because we want taxpayers not to have to pay for them.”
There are four Illinois’ senior-only DMV facilities, for persons 65 and older, in Bridgeview, Calumet Park, Evanston and Westchester, he said.
The facilities are walk-in, no appointment needed and offer driver’s license services including real IDs, vision screening and motorcycle written tests, disability placard replacement, non-CDL road and written tests and vehicle including registration renewal and sticker replacement, according to each website.
Seniors love the facilities, Giannoulias said.
One audience member commented she was in and out of the senior DMV she went to in 20 minutes, surprising her husband who was waiting in the car, she said.
Fast-Lane Renewal Kiosks
Giannoulias has made it easy for people to do their license renewals, state Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar (D-22nd) said.
“They look like ATM machines but they can renew your driver’s licenses and state IDs and they can help you renew your license plate,” Giannoulias said.
The kiosks offer services in English and Spanish. Additional languages will be added in the future.
Scanning the bar code found on your vehicle registration or driver’s license/state ID renewal card or letter begins the process, according to the website.
There is a kiosk at the Tony’s Fresh Market at 78th Street and South Cicero Avenue in Burbank, according to Guerrero-Cuellar.
“If you need a renewal, you can get that done when you’re finished grocery shopping,” she said.
There are also mobile DMV units that can come at the request of a local elected official that will accomplish the same thing, Guerrero-Cuellar said.
“We’ve had the mobile units here at the Balzekas Museum three times,” she said.