Minnesota’s innovative secretary of state, Mark Ritchie has developed an online voter registration tool that is now available on the state’s website, mnvotes.org. Ritchie cited both cost savings and voter convenience in providing the online option to eligible voters. Paper applications remain available.
But here’s the big news. Although 14 states have adopted online registration, and several others are in development, Minnesota is the first state to allow electronic signatures, rather than requiring the applicant to have a signature on file in the state’s driver’s license or non-driver ID database. This is because of another state law, passed in 2000, which makes electronic signatures valid for legal documents. As a result, many Minnesotans who do not have a drivers’ license or state ID may now avail themselves of the convenience of online voter registration. Low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, and young people are likely to be prevalent in this group. Project Vote has been urging states to drop the “wet” signature requirement because online registration is secure without it, and requiring it shuts out those populations that are underrepresented in our electorate already. Finally, someone listened!
The Minnesota method will ensure that only persons providing verifiable identification numbers will be able to register, and their information will be screened and evaluated just as paper registrations are now. A Minnesota driver’s license number, state ID number, or the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number is necessary for the applicant to use the online system. The applicant must also have an email address.
In addition to its convenience for voters and election administrators alike, online registration also boosts the accuracy of election records. “I expect that all county election officials will greatly appreciate online registration,” said Debby Erickson, deputy auditor and elections coordinator for Crow Wing County, and chair of the elections Committee for the Minnesota Association of County Officers, when asked about the Minnesota plan. “It’s going to significantly reduce the time and associated costs of manual data entry and processing. We’ll have more accurate voter rosters at the polling place.” The Secretary of State’s office also estimates processing time saved per application at one-half to two-thirds.
Update, October 15, 2013: Remarkably, the Minnesota voting statutes are written so as to allow such a change without further legislation. Secretary Ritchie simply put the online registration tool up on the Web site and invited eligible Minnesotans to use it. More than a thousand have done so in only three weeks. Minnesota’s online registration system is definitely a breakthrough!