Voter Registration
The voter registration process in the United States is too often a barrier to voter participation.
In 2006, only 76 percent of the voting age population was registered. There are significant demographic differences between those who are registered and those who aren’t, with registered voters being considerably older, wealthier, and more white than eligible voters.
Not surprising, there are differences of opinion between these demographic groups, with the unregistered being more likely to support an active government and measures to help the poor, and registered voters more likely to support restrictions on government such as tax limitation measures. This means that our current voter registration system inherently skews election results so government decisions do not accurately reflect the will of the people.
Common Cause supports a number of reforms that would help all eligible citizens register and vote.
Election Day Voter Registration
Research has shown that Election Day Registration can boost voter turnout considerably -- up to 7 percentage points. Results can be even more dramatic among young voters.
Eight states (Montana, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Iowa) allow voters to register to vote at their polling place on Election Day. Rhode Island allows it for presidential elections only and North Carolina allows new voters to register and vote on the same day during an early voting period just prior to Election Day.
Eight more states (Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia) allow people who have moved within a state to re-register with their new address at polling places on Election Day and these states have seen a modest boost of 2 percentage points in turnout.
Common Cause is actively working to promote Election Day registration policies in Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maryland, and New Mexico.
Internet Registration
Arizona and Washington State allow citizens to register to vote over the Internet. In Arizona, 25 percent of voter registration occurred online the first year it was implemented (2003). By 2007, this figure was up to 72 percent and the state saw a 9.5 percent increase in total registrations from 2002 to 2004. Common Cause led efforts to pass a bill allowing Internet registration in California in 2008.
Pre-registration
In the 1970s, Common Cause led efforts to enact the 26th Amendment that lowered the voting age to 18. Today, we support laws to allow teens to pre-register to vote. Those who pre-register are automatically sent a voter registration card on their 18th birthday and have their names activated on the voter rolls.
After the 2006 election, Florida passed a law allowing 16 year olds to pre-register to vote. Miami-Dade County has been promoting this service through a MySpace page, at high schools, and through the Department of Motor Vehicles where young people can pre-register when they receive their drivers license at age 16. Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, and Oregon offer some form of preregistration. Common Cause backed a bill for 16 year old pre-registration in the 2008 California legislature and we are hopeful the bill will pass in 2009. Both Houses of the Rhode Island legislature passed a 16 year old preregistration bill but the Governor vetoed it. The Connecticut legislature referred a Common Cause-backed constitutional amendment to the November 2008 ballot that will allow 17 year olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by Election Day. Lawmakers in Arizona, Illinois, and Pennsylvania considered similar bills.
Automatic Registration
Common Cause believes that states should automatically register citizens to vote at any opportunity where government agencies are in a position to ascertain a person’s address and eligibility. For instance, Departments of Motor Vehicles could proactively register citizens when they apply for driver’s licenses. Even if someone has not yet reached voting age, which is common for first time driver’s license applicants, they could be registered with a flag in the database to activate the registration only when they reach an eligible age. Other opportunities include public assistance agencies automatically registering their clients, military branches automatically register members of the armed forces when they relocate or return from duty abroad, parole officers registering former felons who have completed parole requirements, and automatic registration of green card holders upon successfully completion of their naturalization process. In 2008, Minnesota passed a law to automatically update voter registrations using data from the United States Postal Service.
Common Cause is working with other groups including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights on a federal bill that could include automatic registration, pre-registration, and Election Day Registration.
Lifetime registration
One study found that 46 percent of American moved between 2000 and 2004. All states currently update a voter’s registration if they move within their county or other local registration jurisdiction. With the advent of statewide voter databases, we have the opportunity to process automatic updates whenever someone moves within their state. Between the U.S. Post Office, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, state and federal income tax filings, draft registration through the selective service, and social service agencies citizens tell the government where we live multiple times each year. There is no reason not to use this information to automatically update voter registrations, so long as citizens have the opportunity to opt out.
Nationwide adoption of these practices could mean that someone would only have to register to vote once in their lifetime and have that registration automatically follow them as they move.
NVRA compliance
At a minimum, states should ensure full implementation of NVRA (the National Voter Registration Act, also known as the Motor Voter law), especially public agency requirements. NVRA was passed, in part, to make registration easier and more accessible to a wider range of Americans. One way this was to be achieved was for public agencies serving various communities to offer voter registration on-site.
States must live up to their obligations to ensure that these agencies are complying with the law and providing voter registration opportunities for those who may not otherwise be familiar with the voter registration process. In particular, Common Cause has joined with Demos, the League of Women Voters, and the American Association for People with Disabilities to call on the Veterans Administration immediately begin offering veterans the opportunity to register at all of its facilities.
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