logo

To Boost Voter Turnout, We Need To Think Bigger Than Motor Voter Laws

image
Created: 16 July, 2015
Updated: 16 October, 2022
3 min read

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. -- California legislators introduced a bill last March that will automatically register citizens to vote when they obtain or renew their driver's license. The new law follows in Oregon's footsteps with the hopes to increase California's record-low voter turnout of 42.2 percent.

California's new Motor Voter Act (AB 1461), introduced by Secretary of State Alex Padilla and jointly authored by Assemblymembers Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), is currently making its way through the California legislature.

that “ur Democracy is at its strongest when the most people possible are participating, and the California New Motor Voter Act is an opportunity to easily bring millions of already eligible voters into the electoral process.”

Gonzalez stated in a press release

“California ranked 43rd in voter turnout nationally for the 2014 General Election. This problem cannot be ignored," Padilla said. "Civic participation is the foundation of our democracy.”

Oregon adopted automatic voter registration in March with the option for citizens to opt-out. Minnesota had a similar bill; however, Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed it in 2009. Following Oregon's adoption of the law, 17 other states introduced automatic voter registration bills.

Currently, all states are required to follow the 1993 Motor Voter Law, yet there is speculation that some fail to do so.

In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), commonly called the Motor Voter Law. The purpose of the law, instituted in 1995, was to increase the number of registered voters and enhance voter participation at the polls. Unfortunately, being registered to vote does not mean one will show up on election day.

Voting is a two-step process. Making it easier to register voters does not guarantee that those voters will be able to make it to the polls on election day. Political scientists Cynthia Rugeley of Texas Tech University and Robert A. Jackson of Florida State University explain:

 “The proximate purpose of the NVRA was to increase registration across the United States by lowering procedural barriers. Its supporters believed that elevated registration would translate into heightened electoral participation, or, at least, stem the turnout decline." "The NVRA did little to increase overall voter turnout and that it did not significantly alter the demographic make-up of the electorate.”
Rugeley and Jackson conclude that “mplementation of the NVRA did indicate a small overall increase in the percentage of registered citizens” and “produced moderate improvements in registration equality along education, income, and age."

However, they explain an increase in voter registration did not correlate to increased voter turnout.

IVP Existence Banner

Supporters of the new California legislation believe the law will end the discouragement voters have with the registration process. Essentially, the new bill increases the percentage of registered citizens that the national law failed to do.

Proponents hope that the electorate will be more representative of the state's demographics. Assemblywoman Gonzalez further states that “y modernizing and streamlining the registration process, we can help ensure all Californians get the best possible representation.”

Whether or not automatic registration will increase turnout at the polls is still unclear. However, making registration easier for citizens is one step in the right direction.

There are other reforms in the works that might boost voter turnout as well. Voting by mail, same-day registration, making Election Day a national holiday, and voter education programs all work toward the goal of increasing turnout at the polls.

Photo Credit: SteveWoods / shutterstock.com

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read