Honolulu Star-Advertiser - February 28, 2021 - Column: Automatic voter registration promotes the right to vote
It is encouraging that there are several bills before this legislative session that propose the next logical step of automatic voter registration (AVR). That includes bills introduced in the state House of Representatives by Speaker Scott Saiki and in the Senate by longtime AVR champion Sen. Karl Rhoads. One bill, introduced by Rep. Mark Nakashima, received unanimous support at its first hearing. Hopefully that legislative momentum will reverberate.
AVR is a policy tool that will allow our government to make the voter registration process more efficient, convenient and cheaper. Citizens who are at least 18 years old when applying for, or renewing their ID card or driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), would be automatically registered to vote or have their updated information sent to the county election offices — unless they opt out. The individual still has responsibility for updating their voter registration when they move.
