Registering to vote tends to be a complicated process rife with mistakes, creating unneeded bureaucracy and resulting in relatively low registration rates compared to other democracies. In an age of capable technology, the current paper-based registration process is outdated and inefficient.
A simpler and more effective method of registration is Automatic Voter Registration, which would automatically register someone when they apply for a driver's license or registration card. Oregon and California have already passed laws to register people automatically at the DMV, and other states are showing interest.
Now, a new group is spending up to $10 million dollars to push Automatic Voter Registration nationwide. From the New York Times:
The group, called iVote — which is led by Jeremy Bird, who ran Mr. Obama’s voter turnout effort in 2012 — is betting that such laws could bring out millions of new voters who have, for whatever reason, failed to register even when they had the opportunity at motor vehicle departments.
Many of those new voters would be young, poor or minorities — groups that tend to support Democratic candidates, Mr. Bird said.
Automatic Voter Registration induces a major shift in how we think about voting in America. Right now the onus is on citizens to register, with the government then responsible for processing thousands and thousands of forms. But it makes much more sense for the government to be responsible for registration, as in many other democracies.
When the onus is on the government, registration rates predictably skyrocket. Just look at the countries with the highest registration rates.
In its report Expanding Democracy, the Brennan Center looked at voter registration in 16 countries and found:
All of the countries in which the government takes an active role in registering voters have much higher voter registration rates than the United States. For example, Canada’s federal voter roll includes 93% of eligible voters. France and British Columbia have voter rolls that include 90% of eligible voters. Australia, Great Britain, and Mexico have registration rates between 92 and 96%.
The left has been playing defense on voting rights over the past few years, as Republicans spend taxpayer dollars to "prevent" voter fraud, a problem that doesn't exist. Voter ID laws and the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act have also made it harder for people to vote. And, in places like Alabama, things are especially bad. From TPM:
Alabama closed 31 driver's license offices, many in county's with high proportion of black residents, after a tougher voter ID law went into effect. Driver's licenses are on a very short list of government-issued photo IDs that are accepted to vote.
Automatic Voter Registration is an opportunity for the left to finally play offense. Advancing innovative systems to register voters is one way to ensure turnout. After all, the data shows that registered voters show up to vote. In 2008, 90 percent of registered voters showed up to vote, compared to just 64 percent of the voter eligible population.
In future iterations of Automatic Voter Registration other government offices, such as social service offices, revenue agencies, post offices, and others could also register voters to ensure even more wide-reaching voter registration. But for now, the DMV is a great place to start. From the Times:
In California, nearly six million people who have driver’s licenses are not registered to vote, said Alex Padilla, the secretary of state and a Democrat. He said the new law, which aims to eliminate that discrepancy, was “good for democracy” and added, “It’s more effective and efficient.”
The battle for national Automatic Voter Registration will be uphill, indeed. As the Times points out, "Republicans control 30 state legislatures, and as of January, 32 states will have Republican governors." And Congress is gridlocked with Republicans.
But there are states where moving forward on voter rights is a reasonable possibility, and iVote's $10 million pledge will make a huge difference. Democracy is predicated on participation, and iVote's push for Automatic Voter Registration can only improve true democratic representation.