A boost for democracy: Same-day voter registration

In the 2006 U.S. elections -- an "off year" but still marked by many competitive races -- just over 55% of the voting-age public cast a ballot. Even accounting for non-citizens and others not eligible to vote, the number only rises to just over 60% -- a disturbing figure given that Western European countries have averaged over 77% for 50 years.

Pundits and political analysts have many reasons -- some convincing, some not -- for why turnout remains low in a country that proclaims itself the "world's best democracy." But one proven factor is the scatter-shot and obstacle-ridden process citizens face when trying to register to vote.

Many states arbitrarily cut off the voter registration date at 20-30 days before an election. Combined with a confusing and ever-changing set of rules for provisional and absentee voting and other policies, millions of voters are locked out of the democratic process.

But there's an easy fix that's gaining steam in state legislatures: same-day voter registration. In six states -- Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming -- voters can come to the polls on Election Day, and if they weren't able to register before or there was a problem with their name on the rolls, they can register on the spot and vote.

Has it worked? Resoundingly so. As the think tank Demos notes:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the six states with [Election Day Registration] -- Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming -- had an average turnout of 68 percent in the 2000 election, nearly 10 points higher than the national average.

In 2004, the turnout advantage in Election Day Registration states jumped to almost 12% (pdf).

Aside from the usual bureaucratic resistance to change, the argument against "same-day" registration used to be that it invited fraud -- what would stop someone from traveling from county to county, critics said, registering and voting at each stop? Most states with EDR didn't report such problems before -- Idaho, Maine and Wisconsin aren't the first states that come to mind when you think "voter fraud" -- but the concern is especially out of date now that the Help America Vote Act has compelled each state to create computerized voter lists that can be checked in "real time" for duplications and fraud.

19 states are now considering some form of "same-day" registration (pdf), including Georgia, North Carolina and Texas. In Georgia, Rep. Alisha Morgan has introduced a bill that would allow for Election Day Registration at polling places via provisional ballot; at a registrar's office, they would be allowed to vote using a regular ballot once their qualifications are checked out. In Texas, matching House and Senate bills call for EDR, with the ballots counted separately.

North Carolina is considering an innovative twist -- allowing one-stop, in-person registration and voting at over 200 early voting sites across the state. If implemented, this pilot effort simplify the registration and early voting process, helping voters and election officials alike. Those interested in the NC legislation -- which has 57 co-sponsors in the NC House -- can visit here (pdf).

For more information and resources, visit Demos' website.