Since the 2008 presidential election, there has been a growing consensus among election officials, scholars, and voting rights advocates that voter registration can be modernized to take ad­vantage of new information technologies, making the process more cost-effective, accurate, and efficient for government and voters.

The traditional voter registration methods—employed by millions of Americans every year to either apply to become registered voters or to update their registration information—are increasingly out-of-step with 21^st century advancements. This antiquated system—largely unchanged since the 19^th century—requires forms that are distributed by front­line state agencies or voter registration drive workers, completed and checked by hand, and then mailed or delivered to other government offices for verification and processing. 

While paper-based applications  will not go away any time soon, more and more states are taking advantage of existing and emerging technologies to improve how voters are registered. From the convenience of online voter registration applications, to the paperless transmission of application data between government databases, to community-based registration drives that employ electronic forms, paperless information technologies are allowing states and nonprofit voter registration organizations to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and realize significant cost savings.

As the resources on this page discuss, the models for the future of voter registration have already been successfully implemented in many states, in election offices and other agencies that are finding new and better ways to provide voter registration. Applying these technologies can transform election administration for officials and make the process more convenient and reliable for all eligible voters.