News
California’s Automatic Registration Could Add 2 Million Voters, Study Says
A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California estimates that, if executed successfully, the state's new motor voter law could add more than 2 million new voters to the rolls in its first year of implementation. The new law, slated to take effect next year, is supposed to streamline the way citizens register to vote at Department of Motor Vehicles offices. Once fully implemented, drivers applying for or renewing licenses and completing other DMV transactions will have their information electronically transmitted to the secretary of State, as long as they've confirmed they're eligible to vote and don't opt out of registering. State officials have been saying for months that potentially millions of new voters could be registered under the new law. The PPIC report released Thursday appears to bolster that claim. If the law is a success, the report says, California's electorate could grow to include more Latinos, young people and those with foreign-born parents and lower education levels.
Ohio to Invite New Voters, Purge Dead Voters from Rolls
COLUMBUS -- More than 1.5 million Ohioans who are eligible to vote but haven't registered will get an invitation in August to join the voter rolls and thousands who have died or moved out of state will be dropped, under a new partnership between the Ohio Secretary of State and a national non-profit organization. Secretary of State Jon Husted predicted on Tuesday that the total number of registered voters will climb beyond the current 7.6 million and the records will be more accurate as Ohio -- once again -- undergoes the added scrutiny of being a crucial swing state in a hotly contested presidential election. "Our goal has always been to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat in Ohio," Husted said. Ohio will join 18 states and the District of Columbia participating in the Electronic Registration Information Center, a national non-profit formed in June 2012 to focus on maintaining accurate voter registration records. It is funded by the Pew Center for the States. ERIC states cross check voter files against Social Security death records, driver's license and vehicle registration records and other databases. Pew is awarding Ohio a $400,000 grant to cover most of the cost of sending notice about the easiest path to register to an estimated 1.5 million to 2.25 million Ohioans who are eligible but not yet registered.
Illinois Governor Eyes Automatic Voter Registration Bill
SPRINGFIELD Illinois lawmakers in both houses have endorsed automatic voter registration. The measure approved 86-30 by the House on May 31 would provide automatic registration for would-be voters visiting certain state agencies, according to the Associated Press: Each person would have a chance to opt out at some point. Senate approval of House changes sent it to Gov. Bruce Rauner, who expressed support but wants to see legislative language. "Supporters say it could expand the franchise to 2 million people. Republicans fear a ploy to gin up Democratic voters. People visiting the Department on Aging or the departments of Human Services, Healthcare and Family Services, Employment Security and the Secretary of State's office could register."
Four Connecticut Republicans Oppose Automatic Voter Registration
HARTFORD -- An agreement between Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and Department of Motor Vehicle Commissioner Michael Byzdra to develop an automatic voter registration system is an unnecessary and expensive proposition. That was the message from four Republican lawmakers who held a press conference in late May at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to criticize the decision. In response to the U.S. Department of Justice's threat to sue Connecticut for not complying with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, Merrill and Byzdra inked an agreement to come up with an automatic voter registration system for drivers to use at the DMV when they renew their license. Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, said the current paper process has no new implementation costs. It involves making sure drivers are given voter registration cards by an employee at the counter and that those cards are mailed to their respective towns. The memorandum of understanding between Merrill and Byzdra sets forth a two-year process for coming up with an automated way for drivers to register to vote at the DMV.
Kobach Predicts Chaos if Court Order Stands in Kansas Case
DENVER -- Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach contends massive voter confusion will occur if an appeals court doesn't block a lower court's order to register thousands of state residents for November's presidential election. Kobach made the prediction in a document he filed with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The dispute centers on residents who submit voter registration forms at Division of Motor Vehicles offices and don't provide proof of citizenship. A 2011 state law requires newly registering voters to provide proof of citizenship. A preliminary injunction issued May 17 by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson prohibits election officials from enforcing the proof of citizenship requirement for residents who register at DMV offices. Robinson's order will take effect Tuesday if the Denver-based appeals court doesn't block it by issuing a stay. Kobach requested a stay in the document he filed May 28. Attorneys for the League of Women Voters and American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday opposed Kobach's request. The dispute involves whether about 18,000 residents will be allowed to vote, court filings state. Early voting for the primary election begins July 13.
Virginia Assembly Republicans Sue Governor over Felon Voting
Virginia Republicans on Monday asked the state's highest court to block more than 200,000 felons from voting in November, arguing that Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe abused his power by restoring the voting rights of thousands of convicts who've completed their sentences. In a lawsuit GOP leaders filed in the Virginia Supreme Court, they say McAuliffe violated the separation of powers by effectively suspending the state's ban on voting by felons. They say McAuliffe is ignoring decades of practice, which has made clear that governors can restore voting rights only on a case-by-case basis. "Gov. McAuliffe's executive order defines the plain text of the Constitution, flouts the separation of powers, and has no precedent in the annals of Virginia history. The governor simply may not, with the stroke of the pen, unilaterally suspend and amend the Constitution," their lawyers wrote in the suit. The lawsuit is being brought by House Speaker William Howell and Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment along with four other Virginia voters. They're asking the justices to prohibit election officials from registering felons and to cancel all such registrations since April 22. As of last week, election officials said nearly 4,000 felons had signed up to vote, media outlets reported.
Judge Rules against Kansas Proof of Citizenship to Vote
WICHITA - A federal judge said Tuesday that Kansas can't require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections at motor vehicle offices. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled that the state's proof-of-citizenship requirements likely violate a provision in the National Voter Registration Act that requires only "minimal information" to determine a voter's eligibility. She ordered Kansas to register thousands of voters whose paperwork is on hold because they did not comply with the requirement. But she put her preliminary injunction on hold until May 31 to give the state a chance to appeal. The state immediately said it would appeal. Unless a higher court halts Robinson's order before the end of the month, it would take effect then, clearing the way for those residents to cast a ballot in the upcoming federal elections.
Poll: Most Voters Support Voter ID Laws
Election Law Blog -- (Quinnipiac poll) Florida voters support 77 - 20 percent, including 60 - 36 percent among Democrats, requiring voters to show photo ID. [Ohio] Voters support 75 - 22 percent requiring voters to show photo ID. Democrats are divided with 50 percent in favor of photo ID and 48 percent opposed. [Pennsylvania] Voters support 64 - 34 percent requiring voters to show photo ID. Support is 94 - 6 percent among Republicans and 63 - 35 percent among independent voters. Democrats are opposed 56 - 40 percent.
Missouri Lawmakers Pass Voter Photo ID Bill
JEFFERSON CITY • A measure laying out photo ID requirements at the ballot box won final passage in the Missouri Legislature on May 11. The bill still needs either Gov. Jay Nixon's signature or, if he vetoes the bill, a successful veto override in the Legislature. It would take effect only if voters approve to a change to the state constitution. A separate resolution putting the proposed constitutional change on the ballot this year is awaiting approval in the Senate. Both pieces of legislation advanced out of the House early in the legislative session, but they had been stalled in the Senate until last week. Democrats launched filibusters every time the bill came up but agreed to stop stalling a vote in exchange for compromise language. With the Wednesday action, the House approved the Senate language. Under the compromise, anyone who shows up to the polls without an ID can sign a form attesting they are who they say they are and recognizing that photo ID requirements are the law. The state would also pay for photo IDs and any birth certificate needed to obtain them. Voters who don't sign the form could cast a provisional ballot, which would count if they can prove their identity.
Swing State Voters Support Voter ID
Voters in swing states Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are strongly in favor of requiring photo identification in order to vote, a Quinnipiac poll revealed Tuesday. Potential voters in Florida were most supportive of voter ID laws, with 77 percent supporting and 20 percent opposing voter ID requirements. Among likely Democratic voters in the Sunshine State, 60 percent supported voter ID laws while 36 percent opposed the laws. Support for voter ID laws in Ohio was almost as pronounced. Seventy-five percent of potential voters in Ohio favored photo ID requirements while only 22 percent opposed the laws. Democratic voters were more evenly split, with 50 percent supporting and 48 percent opposing voter ID laws. "Ohioans ... are overwhelmingly in favor of requiring a photo ID for anyone wanting to vote," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll. Opinions on voter ID laws in Pennsylvania were more split than the other two states, but supporters of voter ID laws still outnumbered opponents by 30 percentage points, with 64 percent supporting and 34 percent opposing the laws.