The Secretary of State’s Office is a behemoth, multi-faceted department of Illinois bureaucracy. It’s finding new life under the leadership of Alexi Giannoulias in the once-moribund office.
There’s not much exotic about handing out driver’s licenses and vehicle plates. Jesse White, the popular former secretary of state who decided not to seek re-election to a seventh term in 2022, did a yeoman job, yet the office seemed lacking in new direction.
White served 24 years, from 1999 to 2023, and admirably concentrated on the state’s organ donor program, which he fostered. During his tenure, there was not a whiff of hinky goings on in the office, which can’t be said of previous administrations.
White was the longest-serving American to hold what in other states normally would be called the department of motor vehicles. His successor, Giannoulis, a fellow Democrat, is digging into all facets of the office
For example, there was the announcement last week that 10 driver services facilities, including the Lake Zurich site, will be open Saturdays by appointment exclusively for Illinois teens seeking their driver’s licenses. To parents, who have to be with their children in order for them to get a driver’s license or learner’s permit, it’s a summer bonus.
Parents who accompanied their soon-to-be teen drivers often carped that a day set aside for them should be a no-brainer, instead of having to take a day off from work for their kids’ driver’s tests. After all, senior citizens get their own line at driver’s facilities, thanks to White’s administration.
In a press release, Giannoulias said nearly 9,000 current teen permit holders are eligible for a license this summer. While kudos go to Giannoulias for providing the Saturday services for teens, curious why it didn’t include the Waukegan facility at Belvidere and Green Bay roads.
Regarding the Waukegan facility, which has been renovated a number of times to handle increasing crowds, it needs to be enlarged or moved to another location, perhaps in the Fountain Square area. Or reinstate a Libertyville location, which had been on Peterson Road. White dropped the Libertyville facility in favor of the Lake Zurich office off South Rand Road (Route 12).
The last time I visited the Waukegan office to pay $151 ($100 in Wisconsin) to renew a vehicle license plate a few years ago, the line began early in the morning, before opening hours. It was a mad rush for employees. Since then, my tag renewals are done online or via mail, two choices of which Giannoulias has urged Illinoisans to take advantage.
The Secretary of State’s Office is the largest of its type in the nation. Most Illinoisans have visited the office more than any other.
The state says it has nearly 4,000 employees, completes more than 30 million transactions and generates more than $3 billion in annual revenue. It manages the state’s database of 9 million drivers and 11 million registered vehicles.
The office also is in charge of registering and monitoring investments advisers and legislative lobbyists. It also provides security and maintenance for the Springfield Capitol Complex. The secretary of state also doubles as state librarian, a post in which Giannoulias has used to advocate against the rise in reading censorship.
The office has in the past notably been a stepping stone to higher office. Republicans Jim Edgar and George Ryan found their way to the governor’s office. Alan Dixon, a Democrat who held the office from 1977 to 1981, jumped from secretary of state to the U.S. Senate.
Is Giannoulias, 48, on the same track? J.B. Pritzker isn’t going to be governor for life. Giannoulias, a former state treasurer, ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010, but was defeated by Republican Mark Kirk of Highland Park by 2 percentage points in a grueling political battle.
If he is looking at the Governor’s Mansion, so far he’s making all the right moves. In April, Giannoulias released the office’s first-ever “Modernization & Efficiency Report,” detailing the progress made toward achieving his goals and initiatives.
“Our administration has been laser focused on customer-centric initiatives that modernize the office and create an efficient, consistent and streamlined experience for Illinois residents,” he said in a statement.
Some of those initiatives include “Skip-the-Line,” the appointment system at the state’s busiest DMVs to shorten lines and reduce wait times. Another is increasing online services, which he said has tripled the number of transactions to 93,000 a month.
Also, having four walk-in, senior-only DMV centers catering specifically to senior citizens. Others are pushing the “Real ID” program (the deadline is now May 2025) for domestic airline passengers, and establishing the “E-Notary” portal to allow Illinoisians to notarize documents from their home or office.
There’s more, much more, that Giannoulias and his employees have accomplished as he enters his second year in office. What he has in store to maximize efficiencies may determine his political future, but already he may have teen voters in his corner.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
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