Is it possible that tweaking a 21-year-old law could add millions of voters to the rolls?
Five states, including California, now automatically register voters when they sign up for a driver’s license. But many others, like Texas, make the process rather difficult.
According to StateLine, at least 35 million Americans who are eligible to vote have been shut out of the democratic process because they aren’t registered. Every election, many voters show up at the polls only to be turned away because of complications with their registration. The federal Motor Voter Act of 1995 says states must offer to register any eligible citizen who seeks a new driver’s license. But these citizens must decide to opt in.
Besides California, lawmakers in Vermont and West Virginia also approved automatic registration this year. Automatic registration doesn’t require any action from voters, and it could make things a lot easier on election day.