From the Dispatch

All-Mail Voting Is One Winner of Colorado's Primary

Cristina Francisco-McGuire — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:29:31 +0000

As pundits attempt to digest what Colorado's primary on Tuesday night means for incumbents and insurgents alike, there is one thing everyone can agree on: voting by mail saved counties much-needed money while boosting turnout.

Of Colorado's 64 counties, 46 conducted their primaries entirely by mail. Not only did the number of votes cast this year surpass 2008's turnout by more than 100,000, counties have also been able to cut costs dramatically under the new system. According to Jack Arrowsmith, Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, the county anticipated saving taxpayers roughly $200,000, about half the cost of their usual elections. It's no wonder – the cost-per-voter in Douglas County for a mail ballot-only election is about $6 per voter, while the cost-per-voter at a polling place election is about $43 per voter using 2008 election costs. El Paso County experienced similar savings, managing to keep nearly $180,000 in their coffers. Generally, counties can save up to two-thirds of their traditional election-related costs by converting to all-mail elections.

Like Colorado, Hawaii also experienced increased voter turnout and lower costs during their recent all-mail special election in May.

Oregon has been conducting all of their elections entirely by mail since 1999, while 38 of 39 counties in Washington have already implemented all-mail voting.

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All-Mail Voting Increases Turnout and Saves Money in Hawaii Special Election

Cristina Francisco-McGuire — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:30:26 +0000

Results from Hawaii's recent all-mail special election for Congress are in--and the clear winner was the mail voting system that dramatically increased turnout and saved the state sorely needed money.

After two costly special elections in 2002, state lawmakers passed a law allowing an all-mail voting system under the extraordinary circumstances requiring a special election. Hawaii has actually held two mail-only special elections since the law’s enactment, in order to fill mid-term vacancies on the Honolulu City Council — turnout was already significantly higher than a similar City Council special election held in 2002. But this month’s embittered special election for the 1st Congressional District involved about six times as many voters as either of last year’s races, and was the first congressional race in the state to be decided by an all-mail system.

Voters were required to mail ballots by a May 22 deadline and had the option of using City Hall as an absentee polling place for 10 days to allow voters the option of walk-in voting, although no polling places were open on the actual Election Day of May 22. The result?

Higher Turnout: More than 170,000 ballots out of 317,000 mailed were returned. The 54 percent turnout rate was significantly higher than the 13.3 percent turnout rate for the 2003 Congressional special election in Hawaii’s 2^nd Congressional District. In fact, this year’s turnout even surpassed 2009’s all-mail special elections, which attracted 41 and 45 percent of voters respectively.
Saved Money: While a traditional election would have cost an estimated $1.2 million, the mail-in election cost only $925,000 -- a nice boon for a state election system jeopardized by lack of funds.
Simpler Logistics: Not only did voting by mail prove to be less expensive, but it was also logistically easier than having to contend with polling places. As Tim Scott, elections director of Oregon’s Multnomah County, stated, “You don’t have to worry about a janitor not showing up to unlock a school building.” And Glen Takahashi, Honolulu Elections Administrator said, “You don’t have to line up all the logistics — is this facility available? Can I train, recruit and staff the number of polling places required?”
Decreased Value of Last-Minute Negative Campaigning: Commonplace campaign tactics funded by corporate interests and large donors are also watered down because ballots can be cast over a three week period. By the time eventual-winner Charles Djou (R) had released a TV ad attacking challenger Ed Case (D) in the final weekend before May 22, two-thirds of likely voters had already mailed back their ballots. Candidates had to revise their tactics, and there was less incentive to be negative — Ed Case's strategy peaked as voters were receiving their ballots, while Colleen Hanabusa (D) focused on driving voter turnout.

Democratic Party of Hawaii Chairman Dante Carpenter praised the election for being “expeditious” and “less costly,” stating that mail-in elections are “a coming thing.” Though Hawaii is slated to have traditional polling places for this year’s general election, the success of its mail-in system offers a great lesson in how states can, easily and cheaply, further democracy.

Though 28 states currently allow any voter to choose a mail-in absentee ballot, states can go one step further and implement an all-mail voting system. Not only are vote-by-mail contests cheaper to pull off, more efficient, and less of a logistical challenge, but as Oregon, Washington*, and now Hawaii have seen, mail-in elections help restore the democratic process by increasing voter turnout and lessening the impact of expensive tactics in the final days before an election.

* 38 out of 39 counties in Washington have switched to an all-mail system.

Resources:
Progressive States Network - Permanent Vote by Mail Option Approved in First State East of Mississippi
Progressive States Network - Voting by Mail and Before Election Day: States Open Multiple Paths to the Ballot Box
Common Cause - What We Know About Vote by Mail Elections and How to Conduct Them Well

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Youth Registration Law Approved in Maryland

Nathan Newman — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:37:12 +0000

With a vote on the final day of the Maryland legislative session and an expected governor's signature, Maryland will become the fifth state with 16-year-old youth voter pre-registration. The bill, HB 217, is expected to create thousands of new voters and encourage participation among young people.

"This is a big victory for democracy," said its sponsor, Senator Jamie Raskin, "With this legislation, we can now register young people before they graduate and are off into the work force or to college or the military. All the studies show that, when people register, they vote."

Other states with 16-year-old pre-registration include Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina and Rhode Island.

Resources:
Progressive States Network - Expand Youth Voting
FairVote - Testimony on HB 217
Fair Vote - Youth Voter Pre-registration Fact Sheet

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Vote by Mail: Saving Money in Colorado

PSN — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:49:48 +0000

Highlighting the gains from allowing vote by mail options, Boulder County has joined a growing list of Colorado counties and localities that will conduct the 2010 primary election only by mail.

Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall asked the commissioners to approve the change for this year's general election primaries, saying the move would increase turnout and decrease costs. In the 2008 primary, only 18 percent of the people who voted did so at polling places. The vast majority, 79%, voted by mail, and 3% cast their ballots at early-voting locations. The switch will save the county $173,386. Last year, the state legislature passed HB 09-1216, which allows Colorado counties to conduct primaries entirely by mail for the first time.

Resources:
Progressive States Network - Mail-in and Early Voting
Boulder Daily Camera - Boulder County will use mail-in ballots only for August primaries
FairVote - Vote by Mail
Stateline: Oregon - The Vote is in the Mail
Common Cause - Vote by Mail Elections

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State Policymakers Need to Respond to Growing Clout of Latino Voters Nationwide

Suman Raghunathan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:19:43 +0000

A recent report from the advocacy group America’s Voice highlighted the growing power of Latino voters in the upcoming 2010 elections. Latino voters played a critical role in 2008 to propel President Obama to victory in several key swing states that previously trended Republican, including Virginia. Latino voter registration and turnout rates have exploded over the past few years: roughly 10 million voted in the 2008 Presidential election alone, a 2.5 million increase from 2004 and 4 million person increase since 2000. Latino voter registration grew by over 54% between 2000 and 2008, and turnout grew 64% over the same time period.

The shifting composition of the electorate nationwide will increasingly affect state legislators and races. This trend is particularly evident in immigrant ”˜new destination states’ in the South and Southwest, where growing numbers of immigrant residents are expected to translate into new Congressional districts after the 2010 Census. In response, progressive state leaders can take a few key steps:

Take Action on Immigrant Rights, a Defining Issue for Many Latinos: Immigration was not the number one issue for all Latino voters: like most Americans, the economy remains critical for them. Nevertheless, immigration reform remains important to a broad majority of Latinos as they make voting decisions. According to a May 2009 poll of Latino voters, 82% felt the issue was important to them and their families. Foreign-born Latinos (many of whom still have friends or family members who are documented residents but aren’t yet US citizens or who are undocumented) often feel comprehensive immigration reform and immigration policy is a top issue. State leaders can join State Legislators for Progressive Immigration Policy to promote state policies that support immigrants and add their voices to those of other state legislators calling for comprehensive federal immigration reform.
Address Other Key Concerns of Latino Voters: Latino voters need to see progressive state leaders standing up for other key concerns as well, such as health care. A survey last November found Latino registered voters' top concern was health care reform, with 61% saying the government should ensure that all people have health insurance, even if it means raising taxes. Addressing core issues for working families is also key to cementing support from Latino voters.
Support Latino Voter Participation: State leaders can respond to increased Latino voter engagement by continuing to protect their voting rights. State leaders can encourage this trend by introducing and supporting measures to encourage voting such as vote-by-mail, same-day registration and reforms, as well as strengthening civic engagement overall.
Support State-Level Policies and Programs that Integrate Immigrant Residents: Funding immigrant integration measures such as expanded ESL classes is critical for immigrant residents to fully participate in their community, yet demand continues to far outweigh supply for free or low-cost ESL classes. Waiting lists for ESL programs, which often receive some federal funding, remain long nationwide. English proficiency also translates to better wages for immigrant workers, as they can speak up for their rights at the workplace: one academic study found low-wage workers who moved up one English proficiency level saw a 30% increase in their wages.
Reach Spanish-Dominant Latinos: Foreign-born Latinos who predominantly speak Spanish are emerging as swing voters, and are a sizeable share of the Latino electorate: 40% were born outside the US and are naturalized US citizens. According to the New Democrat Network, the GOP more than doubled its share of the Latino vote from 1996 to 2004 by prioritizing outreach to Spanish-dominant Latinos. Both parties are well aware of this dynamic, and continue to step up their outreach: nearly 70% of 2008 immigration-related Presidential campaign ads were in Spanish.

Raising state voices in support of immigration reform is critical, especially in the wake of Congressional inaction on the issue. Despite repeated promises from White House and Congressional leaders to enact comprehensive immigration reform during President Obama's first year in office, momentum on comprehensive immigration reform has slowed in recent months. Yet the current federal vacuum on immigration reform presents an opportunity for states to craft progressive policies that support immigrant integration, such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and protect the rights of immigrant workers. Meanwhile, efforts continue toward comprehensive immigration reform: in an interview last week with Los Angeles’ Spanish-language newspaper La OpiniÃ³n, US House of Representatives Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi reiterated her commitment to enacting comprehensive immigration reform this year — a message she notably has not broadcast in the mainstream media. Pelosi noted she recently raised the issue with President Obama, who said he would work with Congress to develop a bill this year.

Resources:
America's Voice - The Power of the Latino Vote in the 2010 Elections: They Tipped Elections in 2008; Where Will They Be in 2010?
Latino Decisions/UNM RWJF Center/impreMedia - Survey of Latino Registered Voters
Progressive States Network - State Legislators for Progressive Immigration Policy
Progressive States Network - State Immigration Policy to Promote National Change

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Rhode Island Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto of Key Registration Reform

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:33:32 +0000

The Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to override a gubernatorial veto of important electoral reform legislation that will allow voter pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds. Rhode Island now becomes the fifth state, and the fourth in three years, to allow minors to pre-register, a process where their voter registration automatically becomes active upon turning 18. Florida led the recent to move forward with this reform in 2008, with North Carolina and California following in 2009. This reform, while an improvement by itself, is crucially important as part of a greater effort to educate and motivate young people to vote and be politically active. Commissioned by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a new report by George Mason University professor Michael McDonald found that voter pre-registration in Hawaii and Florida has a direct impact on youth registration and participation when accompanied by civic education initiatives at schools and government agencies. It also greatly expands the pool of new driver's license applicants who can register at the department of motor vehicles, since most students get at least a driver's permit before turning 18.

FairVote, a non-partisan think tank devoted to improving American elections, has been a leader in the drive to bring this reform to Rhode Island through the efforts of its state affiliate, FairVote Rhode Island. Working with lead sponsors Rep. Edwin Pacheco and Sen. Rhoda Perry, the legislation (H 5005/S 0085 of 2009) was easily passed by both houses of the Rhode Island legislature four times with bipartisan support, only to inexplicably face Gov. Donald Carcieri’s veto pen each time. This year, after four tries, the legislature moved forward and overrode the governor's veto. “We are proud to have helped lay the groundwork for today’s important victory,” said Rob Richie, elections expert and FairVote executive director. “With the good will and strong advocacy provided over the years by FairVote and like-minded reformers—such as the leadership of both houses, Rep. Edwin Pacheco and Sen. Rhoda Perry, and Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis—Rhode Island voters will now have expanded access for its newest voters. This is a good day for democracy in Rhode Island — and the nation.”

Resources:
FairVote - Rhode Island Legislature Overrides Electoral Reform Vetoes
FairVote - Youth Pre-registration Factsheet
Michael McDonald - Voter Preregistration Programs
Progressive States Network - Expand Youth Voting

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Access to Voter Registration for Low-income Ohioans Set to Improve

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:56:04 +0000

Low-income Ohioans will soon be ensured access to voter registration at Ohio public assistance offices as the result of a settlement agreement that resolves a three-year old lawsuit compelling compliance with the federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Section 7 of the NVRA requires public assistance agencies to provide voter registration opportunities to their clients. The lawsuit was brought because many of Ohio’s public assistance offices were ignoring their responsibilities to provide voter registration to their clients, and there was no state official overseeing the state’s compliance with the law. At the time of filing, then-Secretary of State (SOS) Kenneth Blackwell contended that the state’s obligation to provide voter registration services to its low-income residents was satisfied by the maintenance of a toll-free hotline for public assistance offices to call.

“As a result of the steps the Secretary of State and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director will take, we expect hundreds of thousands of voting-eligible low-income Ohioans to be registered to vote,” said Lisa Danetz, Senior Counsel in the Democracy Program at Demos and co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs. "We applaud the integration of voter registration into agency processes as well as the planned monitoring of the county public assistance offices."

As a result of the agreement, the provision of voter registration services will be institutionalized within the office procedures at county DJFS offices, and both the Secretary of State (SOS) and ODJFS will make sure such services are provided. In particular:

A notice of the availability of voter registration and a voter registration application will be integrated within each agency’s benefits forms;
The provision of voter registration, and its details, will be incorporated into the ODJFS statewide computer system used by all frontline caseworkers;
The state will implement an extensive and regular training program for those employees with voter registration responsibilities;
There will be regular reporting and monitoring of important data from the statewide computer system, county boards of elections and county DJFS offices;
The SOS will conduct at least 20 unannounced spot checks of local agencies each year;
Both the SOS and ODJFS will follow up with counties whose local agencies appear not to be providing voter registration services;
ODJFS will conduct a regular review of voter registration services, using the same mechanisms that it employs to oversee the local provision of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps); and,
To broaden voter registration among low-income residents, the SOS will designate the Department of Veterans Affairs, in its administration of medical services and services for homeless veterans, as a voter registration agency. The SOS will also work with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to encourage voter registration among recently released offenders.

The settlement is a result of work carried out by the NVRA Implementation Project, a collaboration between Demos, Project Vote, ACORN and the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The project's goal is to remedy the serious under-representation of low-income voters in the electorate. In Ohio, only seventy-one percent of low-income citizens are registered to vote compared to ninety percent of affluent citizens. Similar disparities exist throughout the country, even as racial, ethnic, age and other disparities have recently been reduced. NVRA compliance is also an element of PSN's 2010 Shared Multi-State Election Reform Agenda and will be an election reform focus for us in the coming legislative session.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in Indiana and New Mexico, and in 2008 successfully settled a lawsuit in Missouri that has led to a vast increase in voter registration applications submitted at the state’s public assistance offices. In fact, agency-based registrations in Missouri skyrocketed from 8,000 a year to more than 100,000 in just eight months after the court-ordered settlement. It is estimated that proper implementation of the NVRA’s public assistance provisions nationwide could result in 2-3 million additional voter registrations per year.

Resources:
Settlement in Lawsuit against State of Ohio for NVRA Noncompliance
Demos - NVRA Implementation Project
Demos - Federal Court Lawsuit Settlement Brings Ohio into Compliance with National Voter Registration Act
Project Vote - Representational Bias in the 2008 Electorate
Progressive States Network - NVRA Compliance
Progressive States Network - 2010 Shared Multi-State Election Reform Agenda

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Election Reforms to Drive Turnout

Christian Smith-Socaris — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:45:23 +0000

As part of our Shared Multi-State Agenda, the Progressive States Network is working with legislators, advocates and leading experts to promote election reforms that drive voter turnout in states across the country - just in time for the coming 2010 and 2012 election years. Through coordinated, strategic support, PSN and our allies will be working to introduce and advance election reform policies that increase voter turnout in as many states possible, providing model legislation, policy analysis, messaging and more - all of which has been gathered and will be constantly updated on our Shared Agenda Election Reform webpage. Legislators and advocates can contact us about participating and supporting Election Reform campaigns through our website or by emailing electionreform@progressivestates.org.

Election reforms are a crucial tool in building increased support for the broader progressive policy agenda. One of the largest impediments to real progressive reform is that our election system often excludes voters — non-white, less-educated, and less wealthy individuals — who are the most supportive of progressive policy changes. Expanding electoral participation to include a larger, more diverse set of voters will increase support for the host of progressive reforms that are supported by the substantial majority of the population whose voices are not always heard at the ballot box. Working state by state to remove barriers to voting and increase participation in the political process will be a fundamental determinant of how successful progressives will be in achieving the broader reforms we are working toward.

Table of Contents:

- Summary of Election Reform Policies to Drive Turnout and Why They Matter

- Messaging Election Reforms to Drive Turnout

- Building Election Reform Campaigns

- PSN Support in Your States

Summary of Election Reform Policies to Drive Turnout and Why They Matter

Voters should be given every opportunity to participate in our elections and be apart of a system that assures every voice is heard and every vote is meaningful. As part of our Shared Multi-State Agenda, the Progressive States Network is working to promote three election reforms that further these goals in states across the country: National Popular Vote, Vote by Mail and National Voter Registration Act Compliance. Each addresses a different layer of our electoral bureaucracy - the presidential election process, the options for casting a ballot, and the process of registering voters.

Why These Policies Matter: The last two election cycles have seen progressives win impressive victories across the country. However, these gains remain tenuous in many areas, and progressives must be prepared for history to repeat itself and bring a challenging election in 2010, especially at the state level. Adding to the urgency is the fact that the results of the next election will determine who controls redistricting in each state. Given this state of affairs, measures that can help bolster turnout will be crucial to maintain the enthusiasm voters demonstrated in 2008, which will likely be a prerequisite for continued success nationally and in the states. Each of the three reforms in our election agenda have been embraced by voters and elected officials in several states.

National Popular Vote (NPV): NPV is a state-based movement to guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and the District of Columbia). To achieve this result the plan uses two constitutional powers explicitly granted to the states by our Founders - the power to apportion Electoral College electors and the power to enter into interstate compacts. Under the bill all the electoral votes from the enacting states would be awarded, as a bloc, to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC). The bill would take effect only when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes — that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538).
Vote by Mail: Vote by mail is a system by which any voter can choose to receive a mail-in ballot for an indefinite period of time. In this way, it is an expansion of absentee voting by allowing every voter to participate without having to give an "excuse," and allowing voters to permanently vote by mail. Importantly, under this system, voters maintain a choice to vote at a polling place on election day.
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) Compliance: Under the federal "motor voter" law, states are required to provide the opportunity to register, and assistance in doing so, at departments of motor vehicles and public assistance agencies. Over time, states have largely fallen out of compliance with this requirement with respect to public assistance agencies. State legislators can help reverse this trend by bringing oversight to bear on the NVRA compliance practices of public assistance agencies, and where possible passing legislation to mandate best practices for NVRA compliance.

Bill Summaries: Vote By Mail Bill Summary National Popular Vote Bill Summary NVRA Compliance Bill Summary	Model Legislation: Vote By Mail Model Legislation National Popular Vote Model Legislation National Voter Registration Act Compliance Model Legislation

Messaging Election Reforms to Drive Turnout

Election reforms are an essential aspect of achieving the fundamental progressive goal of an inclusive society where every person is able to participate in shaping their community into the place they want it to be. Without broad and unhindered access to electoral participation, minorities, the poor and other groups that lack political power in proportion to their numbers will continue to be marginalized in our society. For these reasons, progressives can speak strongly in favor of voting reforms as a important tool in achieving a just society, and as policies central to achieving the range of our shared goals including health care reform, fair tax policy, and living wages for all workers.

National Popular Vote: NPV garners the support of greater than two-thirds of voters in the 30+ states where it has been polled. The bill has now passed in five states (Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii, Illinois and, most recently, Washington) with a total of 61 electoral votes, almost a quarter of the total needed for NPV to go into effect. Voters typically support NPV at about 75%, including healthy majorities of Republican voters. Polls in individual states show consistent support as well, with voters supporting it in a range from 68% to 81%. The following messages help address some of the myths and misunderstandings about the consequences of NPV:

The Winner Should Win: Emphasize the primary reasons why NPV has such broad support - because every vote should count equally, and the candidate with the most votes should win the election. These are the principles that we respect for our local, state and congressional elections and they should hold for the Presidential election as well.
Making Every State a Battleground State Will Increase Turnout: Average turnout in the 15 most competitive Presidential states was 6% higher than in the rest of the states for the 2008 general election, so NPV will help expand turnout.
NPV is a Civil Rights Issue: Civil rights has drifted out of the national dialogue as the battlegrounds have shifted away from states with high percentages of minority voters. For example, just 21% of African Americans and 18% of Latinos live in the twelve closest battleground states from 2004. NPV assures that all groups and their issues get equal attention. This is why the NAACP and African-American and Latino legislator organizations support NPV.
NPV Helps Small and Rural States: Despite myths otherwise, by leveling the playing field, NPV forces candidates to concentrate on all constituencies, states and populations, rather than disproportionately spending time in a few larger winner-take-all mega-states. In addition, because 12 of the 13 small states are spectators, they actually constitute the most ignored groups of states.
NPV Avoids Disputed Close Presidential Elections: Because a very close result is more likely among a smaller group of voters, the possibility of a Florida 2000 style electoral meltdown is much less likely under NPV. Put another way, because the margin of victory nationwide is much larger than it is in individual states, NPV elections are less susceptible to problems than essentially 50 state races.

Vote by Mail: Vote by Mail is now an option in five states (California, Colorado, Montana, Hawaii, and New Jersey) and has been increasingly popular with voters. California and Colorado have seen the greatest usage with almost a third of California voters voting by mail in November 2008, and an astounding 71% of Colorado voters doing so. Key arguments in favor include:

Vote by Mail Helps Increase Turnout: For many voters going to the polling place on election day is difficult, either for work or family reasons. Vote by Mail is the obvious, low-cost solution for giving such voters the flexibility they need to participate in our elections. Allowing voters the option to vote by mail for every election gives them a flexible path to the ballot box, without which they might not participate.
Vote by Mail Gives Voters a Choice: In the 21st century, we have the ability to give all voters a choice in how they cast their ballots. There are many voters who can make it to the polls, but who prefer to vote by mail either for convenience or because they like having time to fill out their ballots in the comfort of their home. However, under current practice in some states the mail ballot option requires voters to have one of a few narrow reasons (an “excuse”) for not voting at the polls; and in all but five states, voters must reapply for a mail ballot every election.
Vote by Mail Reduces Election Day Chaos and Costs: Vote by mail also helps make sure that no one is prevented from voting on election day by long lines. Colorado residents reaped this benefit in the last presidential election with a smooth election that contrasted sharply with the previous election without vote by mail. In that election some Denver voters waited in lines that lasted half a day or more.

National Voter Registration Act Compliance: NVRA compliance has been re-implemented by public assistance agencies in five states (North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Missouri). The messages to expand these successes include:

NVRA Compliance Increases Registration: The reward has been substantial, and in some cases dramatic, increases in voter registrations obtained. Missouri has obtained the most impressive turn-around, with a 2600% increase in registrations collected from public assistance agencies after reforms were implemented.
NVRA Compliance Assures Equal Opportunities to Register: The National Voter Registration Act was enacted with the understanding that opportunities to register to vote must be equally available to all. But racial and socio-economic gaps in the electorate will persist so long as public assistance agencies fail to offer voter registration to their low-income clients. Such individuals, who are less likely to own a motor vehicle, must have a chance to register to vote at public assistance offices as others do at departments of motor vehicles.
NVRA Compliance Addresses Racial and Economic Disparities in Registration: Recent U.S. Census data confirms the racial, ethnic and class bias of the electorate: 73.5 percent of non-Hispanic whites were registered to vote in 2008, as compared to 69.7 percent of blacks, 59.4 percent of Latinos, and 55.9 percent of Asian Americans. Only 65 percent of adult citizens in households making less than $25,000 a year were registered to vote in 2008, as compared to 85 percent of those in households making $100,000. Effective voter registration programs at public assistance agencies are powerful tools for reducing these disparities and bringing more voices into the democratic process.

Building Election Reform Campaigns

Progressive States Network is working with a range of allied organizations so state leaders can tap resources from those groups to help them in their legislative work. We will be working with those allies to strengthen communication between legislators and organizational allies across the states working on our priority election reforms, while providing other technical support as needed during policy campaigns.

Allied national groups are working on every aspect of our election reform agenda. Key organizations are listed below along with critical resources for waging a campaign.

National Popular Vote:

Polling: State NPV Polling
Key Support Organizations: National Popular Vote, Inc., FairVote, Common Cause
People of Color Organizations: NPV is endorsed by the NAACP, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and National Latino Congreso.
Explaining NPV and Interstate Compacts: National Popular Vote Factsheet and Understanding Interstate Compacts. See also the book-length Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote
See Responses to Myths about the National Popular Vote Plan
NPV and Racial Inequality: See FairVote's Presidential Election Inequality: The Electoral College in the 21st Century, an in-depth analysis of how our current system undermines our principles, marginalizes certain voters, and distorts public policy. See PSN's NPV- A Voter Turnout and Civil Rights Issue.
Progressive Case for NPV: National Popular Vote Advancing Across the States - PSN Dispatch outlining the progressive case for a national popular vote.

Vote by Mail:

Key Support Organizations: Vote by Mail Project, Common Cause and labor unions including SEIU and AFSCME are strong supports of VBM.
How Vote by Mail Works: Common Cause has this primer, What We Know About Vote by Mail Elections and How to Conduct Them Well; see also Importance of Universal Absentee Voting.
Progressive Case for Vote by Mail: See this PSN Dispatch - Permanent Vote by Mail Option Approved in First State East of Mississippi

NVRA Compliance:

Key Support Organizations: Demos and Project Vote
NVRA Compliance at Public Assistance Agencies: NVRA Compliance Factsheet - One page overview; Unequal Access: Neglecting the NVRA 1995-2007 - In-depth analysis of the failure of most states to maintain compliance with NVRA.
Movement Towards NVRA Compliance: Toward an Equal Electorate: Five States' Gains Under the NVRA - Overview of remarkable success of states that have re-implemented NVRA requirements at their public assistance agencies.

PSN Support in Your States

PSN has already begun working with legislators and advocates to provide support for them as they introduce election reforms legislation around the country. We'd like to work with many more!

Our policy staff are also available to answer questions and supply information not on the website. Legislators and advocates can contact us about supporting Election Reform campaigns through our website or by emailing electionreform@progressivestates.org.

As bills are introduced and sessions begin, PSN will provide ongoing resources and updates on election reform legislation, as well as help coordinate strategy and information sharing with our partners among sponsors and advocates.

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California Governor Signs Law to Boost Young Voter Participation

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:34:25 +0000

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation, AB 30, allowing the pre-registration of 17-year-olds in the state of California. The state joins seven others that allow pre-registration at either 17 or 16. This follows close on the heels of North Carolina, which made their pre-registration age 16 over the summer. As with campaigns in other states, students themselves were the most persuasive advocates for pre-registration. Civically-minded youth and student leaders pointed to the opportunity that would be opened for students like themselves to encourage their peers to register and prepare for voting. Students and a range of advocates including the New America Foundation, AARP, The League of Women Voters and FairVote, made the case the this is a no cost way to boost participation by allowing registration before 18, when many people are in transition.

Young people who start voting early tend to stay regular voters. Knowing this it is important that we increase the amount of education that young people receive about how to be active citizens, including how and why to vote. Preregistration increases the salience of civic education by allowing students to register at then, not a year or two afterward. It is an easy but important step to increasing youth participation and strengthening our democracy that all states should take. And Massachusetts may be the next one to do so as a member of the House leadership has put this as a top agenda item. Before going on to list the benefits of preregistering young people, she bluntly stated at a press conference that "[w]e are looking for good bills to pass that don’t cost anything because we don’t have any money.”

Resources:
FairVote - Youth Voter Pre-registration
Progressive States Network - Expand Youth Voting
New America Foundation - Commending Gov. on Passage of AB 30
Progressive States Network - NC Passes Key Youth Voting Reform

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Bipartisan Committee Forms to Push for Voter Registration Modernization

Christian Smith-Socaris — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:17:42 +0000

Perhaps signaling a new phase in efforts to modernize the country's antiquated voter registration systems, a new group of unlikely bedfellows has come together to help win support for an overhaul that would put government in charge of proactively registering voters, and allowing voter registrations to be portable within states. Spearheaded by two former general counsels of presidential campaigns, Trevor Potter (McCain 2000 & 2008) and Marc Elias (John Kerry 2004), the Committee to Modernize Voter Registration (CMVR) plans to promote registration modernization and be a resource for those on Capitol Hill.

Both Mr. Potter and Mr. Elias say that their experiences dealing directly with voting systems throughout the country have led them to support fundamental change. As Mr. Potter expressed the impetus for bringing the group together, “Throughout our campaign work, we saw firsthand the inefficiency and needless expense in our paper-based registration system. ... Both parties recognize that having a 19th Century voter registration system for the 21st Century is not where we want to be."

Joining Mr. Potter and Mr. Elias are a roster of distinguished former elected officials and election experts, including Democrats Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. and Republicans Sen. John Danforth and Rep. Susan Molinari. The group also includes leaders of the Pew Center on the States, the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute. Coinciding with the press conference announcing the new group, Pew released a new issue brief on voter registration modernization, and gave a commitment to help states modernize their registration systems.

CMVR is not putting forth a specific proposal for how to modernize the system, but they believe that,

"the best way to modernize the voter registration system would be to use existing databases to automatically register voters... Additionally, the Committee is advocating for a system that will allow a registration to be portable so that voters are not forced to re-register when they move within a state, and will include a fail-safe mechanism for any Election Day problems. The Committee advocates a commonsense, technologically-based approach to solving many of these problems. For instance, by using existing government databases to automatically register voters, they assert, states and local governments could save scarce financial and staff resources that would otherwise be spent shuffling, entering and reviewing reams of paper registration forms. "

This is also the approach that the Brennan Center for Justice, Progressive States Network, other election reform advocacy organizations and a number of academic election experts have advanced since last winter. After the election in November many commentators and election observers noted that many of the problems people were encountering at the polls, and the allegations of fraud that were being made by conservatives, could be resolved if we had a modern voter registration system. When research examining how many people were prevented from voting in 2008 due to these problems indicated that is was 4 million voters, the momentum for change continued to grow. We are excited about the groundswell of support this issue is garnering as it indicates that pressure for change will now be coming from both sides of the aisle.

Resources:
Committee to Modernize Voter Registration
Partisan Rivals Unite to Modernize Voter Registration System (Press Release)
Pew Center on the States - Bringing Elections into the 21st Century: Voter Registration Modernization
Brennan Center for Justice - Voter Registration Modernization
Progressive States Network - Voter Registration Modernization

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