Republicans were bending  voter registration policy
During the Downers Grove Heritage Festival, the Downers Grove Township Republicans chose to inject partisanship into voter registration — an activity in which it clearly does not belong. State Election Code says voter registration should not be conducted where the promotion of one candidate or political party is happening.

In disregard for this law, the Downers Grove Township Republicans had a large sign stating “Voter Registration” at the forefront of their political booth at the Downers Grove Heritage Festival. They were bending, not breaking, the rule by not actually registering voters themselves, but rather handing voters a form to fill out themselves. Nevertheless, a large sign that said “Voter Registration” surely gave the strong impression that they, the Republicans, were registering voters in the same booth in which they were promoting their party and their candidates.

The Republican leaders in the booth maintain the DuPage County Election Commission sanctioned their activity. If so, the Election Commissioners contradicted the intent of their own Voter Registrar Handbook, which states that “registrations must not be taken in conjunction with the promotion of any candidate, political organization or cause.”  

Meanwhile, members of the League of Women Voters were giving of their time and conducting legitimate nonpartisan voter registration at a booth right around the corner from the Republican booth at the festival. If the Republicans were really interested in voters being registered, they should have referred them to the League of Women Voters’ booth or to the library.
Christine Hotchkin, Downers Grove