ADVANTAGES OF ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION
Election Day Registration (EDR), also known as “same-day voter registration,” permits eligible citizens to register and vote on Election Day. Six states had EDR for the 2004 elections.
- They boast higher-than-average voter turnout;
- Reported few problems with fraud;
- Insignificant changes in costs, or administrative difficulty; and
- Enhanced citizen’s participation in our democratic process.
These benefits led half a dozen states to seriously consider EDR during the 2005 legislative session and Montana to enact EDR for their 2006 elections. Since the elections of 2000, at least 36 states, in every region of the country, have considered a proposal for “Same Day” or “Election Day” Registration.
Why Do We Need EDR?
• To help Americans vote. Election Day Registration makes voting accessible and convenient by removing barriers to participation. With EDR, all eligible citizens who arrive at the polls have an opportunity to vote, even if their names have been incorrectly purged or were not added in time for the election. According to a May 2001 poll, nearly two-thirds (64%) of all non-voters said that allowing people to register and vote on Election Day would make them more likely to vote.
• To make every vote count. In the 2004 presidential election, more than one million voters cast provisional ballots that often went uncounted. If EDR had been available, most of these voters could have registered and cast regular ballots. More than one million other registered voters across the country had registration problems that prevented them from voting altogether—problems that could have been overcome had EDR been available.
• Registration deadlines limit voter participation. Thirty-seven states end voter registration 20 to 30 days before Election Day, well before debates are held, advertisements are run, and before most voters focus on election campaigns.
• States with EDR have higher voter participation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on average 75 percent of voting-age citizens voted in EDR states in the 2004 election -- about 12 percentage points higher than the national average.
Who Benefits from EDR?
• All voters. 61 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2004 presidential election. Another 27 percent, 55 million American citizens, were not registered to vote. Experts predict that EDR could bring many of these citizens into the system.
• Young people. States with EDR, on average, have youth voter turnout rates that are 14 percentage points higher. In those states, 18-24 year olds are more likely to be contacted by a political party, which indicates that campaigns seek to engage young people in EDR states. Three of the top five states for youth voting in 2000 allowed EDR (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maine).
• The historically disfranchised and recent movers. More than 40 million Americans, or 14 percent of the population, moved between March 2002 and March 2003. The young, people of color, and low-income populations are most mobile. Many of these individuals want to vote but are not able to register at their new addresses before registration deadlines pass. EDR offers a ready remedy. New residents can simply re-register at their new voting precinct on Election Day and vote.
• Election administrators. Election administrators like EDR because it’s easier to implement than provisional ballots. EDR is efficient: unlike most provisional ballot processes, each voter processed through EDR casts a valid ballot, and is registered for the next election. Administrators are also far less likely to have to turn away eligible voters from the polling place.
EDR is a cutting-edge legislative reform with bi-partisan support.
Republican and Democratic secretaries of state and legislators support EDR. Most academic research says that there is no evidence that EDR would produce a skewed partisan benefit .
Additional Information about the Policy Idea
• What is your current strategy for moving this idea forward? What is the general timeline?
o Election Day Voter Registration was put forward in the 2007 session and will be put forward once again in 2009. Because the current voter registration deadlines were put into the constitution, this change must go before voters as either a legislative referral or a citizen initiative.
• Based on the list of prizes that are available for the winner of this contest, what prizes would you select and how would you put them to use? (The prize list is attached)
o The Lobby Day! Legislators need to hear that election day voter registration is important to their constituents, particularly to young constituents who are most likely to move.
• Voters in the Progressive Policy Battle Royale commit either money or volunteer time to whichever ideas they support. To which 501c3 organization will such monetary donations go and how will they be used? How will you be able to put volunteers to use and what kinds of tasks will they perform?
o Any monetary donations can go to the Bus Project Foundation and used to organize a lobby day for Election Day Voter Registration. Volunteers will plan and attend the lobby day.
Information about the Contestant
This policy idea was brought to the conference by Regina Eaton, Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at Demos. Regina M. Eaton joined the Democracy Program in 2006 focusing on policy issues aimed at increasing voter registration and turn out, including Election Day Registration. Prior to her present position, Ms. Eaton was a consultant with Break the Chains, a national organization building a national movement within communities of color against punitive drug policies. Ms. Eaton was the first Executive Director of The Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) from March 2001 to March 2005. As Director, Ms. Eaton was both the chief executive officer and principle spokesperson of the organization.