Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has revoked the personalized license plates of five Illinois drivers who ordered variations of the date “October 7,” drawing complaints against the apparent nod to the Hamas attacks on Israel last year.

State officials say the controversial plates were yanked after being deemed “hate speech or fighting words,” but civil libertarians say the decision raises constitutional questions about suppressing political expression.

A photo of one of the controversial plates — “OCT 7,” with a “FREE PALESTINE” frame — made waves on social media last month when it was flagged by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, prompting Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza that has killed about 42,000 Palestinians in the year since.

After receiving complaints from Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza and numerous other residents about that plate, Giannoulias’ office reviewed other plates in the system and identified four others similarly considered “offensive to good taste and decency.”

That’s one criteria under state law for having plates rejected or revoked. The secretary of state can also pull plates for being “misleading,” or if they “would substantially interfere with plate identification for law enforcement purposes.”

“As we know, the meaning and impact of words, monikers, acronyms and calendar dates can change over time,” agency spokesman Scott Burnham said in an email. “The Secretary of State’s office was notified about a variation of an ‘October 7’ license plate used in such a way that the plate could be considered hate speech or fighting words.”

The decision, first reported by the Chicago Tribune, raises concerns “about the constitutionality of enforcing a vague standard, according to Ed Yohnka, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

“Certainly they have authority to deny people license plates on the basis of some standard that it sets, but a vague standard about common decency is one that does not lend itself to neutral enforcement,” Yohnka said.

“Some people seem to find this troubling and offensive. They then make a complaint to the secretary of state’s office, and a public official makes the decision. Revocation because someone else complains feels as though it’s sort of an overreaction and doesn’t respect the fundamental nature of political speech.”

In a social media post, the Midwest chapter of the Anti-Defamation League thanked Giannoulias’ office for “making it clear that celebrating 1,200 innocent Jews — including dozens of Americans — being killed by a terrorist organization will not be tolerated on Illinois roads.”

Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the Chicago-based U.S. Palestinian Community Network, called Giannoulias’ decision an “overreaction” and said the First Amendment rights of the Palestinian community “are not protected when it goes against something the U.S. government wants.”

“Would Mendoza or Giannoulias say the same about someone out there, on a license plate or not, glorifying the state of Israel, which is harmful to me and my entire community?” Abudayyeh said.

The five drivers with “Oct. 7” plates have been notified their plates are being removed from circulation. They’ll get new ones at no cost, Burnham said.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois has joined forces with 13 other states and the District of Columbia to sue TikTok, alleging that the app harms the mental health of children.

TikTok prohibits users under 13 from signing up for its main service and imposes content restrictions for users under 18. 

However, 14 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, argue that children can easily bypass these restrictions, allowing them to access the same content as adults. 

This comes despite TikTok’s claims that the platform is safe for children.

Early voting for the 2024 general election begins at some spots in suburban Cook County this week, the Cook County Clerk’s Office said, with “limited” early voting locations set to open Wednesday.

According to the clerk, the voting locations will also debut a new technology tool that will enable voters to update their voting signature in real time. The Clerk’s office is expected to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to reveal more.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, early voting will open at all five Cook County Circuit Courthouse locations, as well as the Clerk’s Office located at 69 West Washington Street.

More locations will open Oct. 21, and can be found on the clerks’ website.

In Chicago, early voting opened Oct. 3. Early voting opened in nearly all other Chicago area counties in late September.

VOTER GUIDE: Your guide to voting in the 2024 Illinois general election

According to projections released by CBOE, nearly 50,000 voters have registered since June, with the biggest gains seen among those between the ages of 18 and 35.

Officials with the board believe that 20-to-30% of voters will cast early ballots in the election, reflecting trends that have emerged in the last two election cycles.

With a presidential election on the ballot, city officials expect higher turnout, with 73.3% of voters casting ballots in the 2020 election.

Here’s what to know as you prepare to vote:

How to register to vote in Illinois

Multiple avenues exist for voters to register in Illinois, starting with automatic voter registration, available at Secretary of State’s Office locations and other public facilities in the state.

Voters can also register to vote via the mail by printing out a form and returning it to their local county clerk’s office, or can deliver the form in-person to those offices.

The form to do so can be found here. The deadline for this type of voter registration is 28 days prior to the election, which will fall on Oct. 8, 2024.

Voters can register online via the State Board of Elections’ website, with a deadline of Oct. 20 for that type of registration.

Finally, voters can register during a grace period prior to and including Election Day, going to their local county clerk’s office or designated polling places, with proper identification required. Voters registering in this fashion will be required to submit ballots on the same day that they register.

How to vote in Illinois

Illinois voters can of course vote on Nov. 5 in the general election, but there are multiple other ways to cast ballots in the state.

The first one available to voters will be early voting. Most counties permit early voting at local county clerks’ offices, with additional sites opening throughout the election cycle.

Voters can also cast ballots via the mail. Applications to do so can be found on the state Board of Elections’ website, and must be returned no later than five days prior to the election.

Overseas and military voting are also available for Illinois residents who won’t be in the country on Election Day, with a full manual available on the Board of Elections’ website.

A full rundown of voting options can be found here.

How to vote by mail in Illinois

Illinois residents who are interested in voting by mail can do so long as they are registered to vote, according to state law.

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is five days before the election, or Oct. 31, 2024. Those ballots must then be postmarked no later than Election Day on Nov. 5, or dropped into a designated dropbox by the end of the day on Election Day.

Voters also can still choose to vote in-person, with specific steps laid out to do so on the Board of Elections’ website.

Full information on how to register to vote by mail, and other assorted information about policies enshrined in state law, can be found on the NBC Chicago app.

Who’s on the ballot in Illinois?

The presidential election will appear at the top of the ticket, but voters throughout the state will also choose their state representatives, and in some cases their state senators, and voters in Chicago will even elect a school board for the first time.

Illinois is taking an election cycle off from voting in U.S. Senate races, with Sens. Dick Durbin up for re-election in 2026 and Tammy Duckworth in 2028.

However, state voters will be tasked with voting for president, with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. all on the ballot for that office.

In addition to the presidential race, all 17 of Illinois’ seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot, as will all of the state’s House seats and a third of the state’s Senate seats.

There will also be three advisory questions on the ballot at the statewide level, along with referendums in numerous communities and counties.

Finally, there will be a limited number of races at the municipal and county levels in the 2024 general election.

Voters can check for candidates in various offices via the state Board of Elections’ website.