A bill that would automatically register Illinoisans to vote when they visit a Secretary of State’s Office passed unanimously in the Senate on Wednesday. It now goes to the governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 1933 would allow qualified residents to be registered to vote when they visit drivers' services offices and other state agencies. Residents would have the option to opt out of the registration.

On Tuesday, the bill passed the House after an amendment was added to strengthen voter privacy and keep residents' registration up to date should they move.

Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said the amendments made the bill stronger and shows that the two parties can agree on something.

“I believe that the place that we’ve landed here is a very good step forward for the people of the state,” Manar said.

An attempt to approve automatic voter registration last year had bipartisan support and passed both the Senate and the House. But Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed it, arguing that the bill didn’t have enough protections against voter fraud. Although the Senate managed to override the veto, the House didn’t have enough votes.

Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said the administration supports the revised legislation.

“We must protect the sanctity of our election process, and we thank the bill sponsors and stakeholders who worked with us on this piece of legislation,” she said.

-- Contact Brian Robbins: 782-3095, brian.robbins@sj-r.com, twitter.com/brianrobbins9.