Voter registration deadlines vary widely between different states. Twelve states currently provide Same Day Registration (SDR) which permits voters to register and cast their ballot on Election Day. North Dakota has no registration requirement whatsoever. However, the majority of states require voters to register to vote prior to Election Day, many as far in advance as one month before the election. These strict and inherently arbitrary voting registration cutoffs appear to substantially limit Election Day turnout. Many eligible citizens become interested in voting during the few weeks before Election Day, when media coverage and campaigning reach their peaks. Furthermore, placing the onus of updating voter registration records on individuals is a burden for voters who move prior to an election.
A new study published by Alex Street et al. in Political Analysis has taken a creative approach in attempting to determine the impact of these early deadlines for voter registration. The authors analyzed the volume of Internet searches for terms such as “register to vote” and actual registration statistics during the lead up to the 2012 Presidential Election. They estimate that had voter registration deadlines been extended to Election Day nationwide, between three and four million additional citizens would have registered to vote, potentially increasing turnout by as much as three percent. Furthermore, a full quarter of post-deadline voter registration search activity occurred during the final two days of the 2012 campaign. This study serves to emphasize the benefits and importance of the growing trend among states towards implementing Same Day Registration.