California, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia and now Connecticut! While Republicans try their darnedest to stop people from voting in a democracy, the bluer Connecticut has taken the huge step of improving their voter registration system.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill told ThinkProgress that an estimated 400,000 eligible voters will be added to the rolls.
“It shouldn’t be a big effort on anyone’s part to register to vote,” she said. “And once people take that first affirmative step of registering, it’s like their first act of citizenship. It makes them really go seek out info about elections and makes them much more likely to vote.”
The Secretary of State’s office and the Connecticut DMV hammered out a memorandum of understanding over the past few months to share data in order to register voters. While the automatic system is still in the works over the next two years, the Connecticut DMV will reach out more aggressively to voters and give them the option to register at all DMV offices, by mail, or on the DMV’s mobile app.
Anytime someone freaks out about voter fraud and computers and apps, just remember, most banking is online these days and you can deposit checks via cell phone photo into your bank on your phone. The one limitation is that this system will only work for those with a drivers license or a state ID that’s connected with the DMV, but it is 400,000 more voices being added to America’s process of decision-making and that’s a win.