Monday, October 22, is the deadline to register to vote in California for the November 6th general election. Recent legislation has made registering to vote in California more accessible since the passage of a 2011 bill that opened up registration to voters online.
Authored by Senator Leland Yee, this bill allows voters whose signature is already on file to register to vote online. Until October, Californians had access to voter registration forms online, but had to print and mail their forms to complete registration. This new system grants access to voters in the digital era to register to vote with the click of a mouse. As updated figures show, in just one month since its implementation, 544,000 California voters have registered online, says the California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.
"Given all of the important issues on the November ballot, I am delighted so many Californians want to make their voices heard," she said. "Since registering to vote is easier than ever with the quick online option, there is no excuse for not being ready to vote on Election Day!"
Young Californians have benefited most from this bill, opening up the process to Californians who value accessibility and favor online expedience. And with 80% of likely voters online, the option to register to vote in California should result in an increase in voters come November.
In another step towards increasing voter turnout, California Governor Jerry Brown recently passed, AB 1436, which will allow Californians to vote 14 days up to and on Election Day with completed registration forms. While passed in September, this law will not take effect until the Secretary of State certifies VoteCal, which is expected to be completed in 2015.
If you have yet to register to vote in California, register online here before Monday's deadline.