Researchers Weigh in: Testimony in Support of Election Day Registration

On Thursday, June 20th Common Cause Massachusetts gave testimony in support of legislation to enact Election Day Registration in the Commonwealth. Researchers across the country have studied Election Day Registration and have called attention to its ability to protect the vote and strengthen democracy. A few of these researchers chimed in.

Professor Elizabeth Rigby is a political scientist at George Washington University who studies political inequality. Her research has demonstrated Election Day Registration is the most effective reform for reducing the income gap in voting. In other words, Election Day Registration helps low-income Americans make their voice heard.

Jacob Grumbach is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and his research has demonstrated that, by eliminating an arbitrary barrier to participation, Election Day Registration bolsters participation in our elections. This makes our shared democracy stronger. Plus, he writes, it is “an effective, safe, and low-cost reform.”

Professor Joseph Anthony of Oklahoma State University wrote and submitted testimony to help enact this commonsense and critical legislation in Massachusetts. He argues that Election Day Registration serves as a safeguard for voters, ensuring that any eligible citizen who turns out to cast a ballot can do so. This reform, he suggests, is a way to push back against threats to the security of our elections and to our democracy.