03/28/07
THE
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
SUPPORTS
ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION
____________________________________________________________
What is Election Day Registration?
Election Day Registration (EDR), also called “same day registration,” allows eligible voters to register and vote on Election Day. Seven states currently have EDR, including New Hampshire and Maine.
Does Election Day Registration lead to individual voter fraud?
The answer is “no.” The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office conducted an exhaustive investigation and found no evidence of double voting during the 2004 election. According to February 2007 testimony before the GAE Committee, there has never been a substantiated case of voter fraud due to EDR in Maine, an EDR state since 1972. In addition to criminal penalties, safeguards being proposed for Connecticut include checking the state-wide online voter registration database, requiring the applicant to appear in person, provide identification and swear an oath, and sending a follow-up mailing.
Who benefits from Election Day Registration? We all do.
Ř EDR states consistently boast higher voter turnout rates than non-EDR states. In 2006, voter turnout in the seven EDR states was, on average, over 10% higher than in non-EDR states. EDR opens the field for candidates by enabling citizens who have been inspired by a candidate’s message to vote on Election Day.
Ř EDR assists young people and people who move frequently for schools, jobs and family. Research suggests that EDR can boost turnout among young people by as much as 14%. Young people and people who move frequently have a difficult time keeping their voter registrations current. EDR allows these individuals to register and vote on Election Day.
Ř EDR reduces the need for provisional ballots and allows eligible voters who may have been mistakenly left off the voting rolls to cast a meaningful ballot. Federal law requires states to offer provisional ballots to voters whose names do not appear on the voter registry. In 2004, almost two million provisional ballots were cast and more than 1/3 of those ballots were not counted. EDR allows voters to register and vote on a regular ballot, thus ensuring that their votes will count. In Connecticut, EDR would also reduce the need for presidential ballots.
Why enact Election Day Registration now?
Quite simply, because the benefits--increased voter participation, more candidate outreach and a better election system--far outweigh the minimal risk of fraud. Today, Connecticut allows unregistered voters to cast a ballot for president on Election Day. Connecticut also allows registered voters who move within their towns, but fail to notify their registrars of their new addresses, to vote a full ballot on Election Day. Both of these situations are similar to “election day registration.” With the state-wide centralized voter registration system fully functional, the time has come to do away with arbitrary voter registration deadlines and patchwork programs and to embrace a simpler, more efficient Election Day Registration system.
For more information, please contact Christine S. Horrigan at cshorrigan@optonline.net