Our nation’s first two primaries make it easy for citizens to come to the polls and vote via Election Day registration. In both Iowa and New Hampshire this month, eligible citizens had the option to register at the polls and cast their ballots at the same time. The Iowa GOP primary had record turnout in a caucus that was decided by only eight voters, proving once again that every vote matters.
Election Day registration, or same-day registration, is a convenience-voting option that allows a citizen to show up at their polling place, register to vote on the spot, and cast their vote. Voting rights advocates support this option because studies have shown that it increases voter participation. Project Vote agrees that Election Day registration is a meaningful tool for Americans to use to boost turnout rates.
Legislators in New York and Washington agree: both states have introduced legislation to implement Election Day:
NEW YORK: A number of positive bills have been introduced in New York. AB 293/SB 1556 would establish early voting up to two weeks before an election. AB 1684 would allow citizens to register on Election Day. And AB 5915/SB 1009 would make it illegal to knowingly deceive voters about the time or place of an election.
WASHINGTON: HB 2204 would allow for citizens to register in person on Election Day, while setting the deadline for registering to vote online at eight days prior to the election.
But Washington and New York are swimming upstream against the current tide in voting rights, because Election Day registration is under attack. Across the country last year, partisans attempted to roll back same-day registration. In Montana, a bill to remove same-day registration was passed in the legislature but vetoed by the governor. Last year in Maine—which was the first state to implement Election Day registration back in 1973— the legislature passed a law that would have done away with the convenience; Election Day registration was only restored after voters put the issue to referendum in a “peoples’ veto.” In New Hampshire, legislators introduced a law to end same-day registration and prohibit most college students from voting from their school addresses.
Why take away a rule that is making it easier for Americans to vote? Because some people don’t want everyone to vote. New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien made his reasons for attacking EDR clear when he publically stated that allowing citizens to register and vote on Election Day led to “the kids coming out of the schools and basically doing what I did when I was a kid, which is voting as a liberal.” In other words, the intention is to eliminate same-day registration in order to cut down on the youth vote for partisan purposes.
Bringing down hurdles to voting helps to bring out voter participation, which is something we all should want. Because our democracy works best when every American participates.