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National Voter Registration Act Compliance

While national NVRA compliance has dropped off sharply, some states have reinvigorated their efforts and as a result have seen major upswings in the number of voters that are being registered, especially at public assistance agencies. Working in collaboration with Demos and Project Vote, the North Carolina Board of Elections has implemented a compliance plan that has increased monthly registrations from 484 in the years 2004 through 2006, to 2,529 in 2007. Iowa, Oregon, and Tennessee have also made concerted efforts to improve compliance.

Public assistance agencies have seen the most significant compliance problems, and they also provide the best opportunities to register voters whose voices are underrepresented in the electorate. Project Vote has composed a basic five part strategy that will help election officials achieve compliance at these agencies:

Know the NVRA's public agency registration requirements (NVRA Section 7).
Communicate frequently with agency managers and staff.
Provide training and support to agency personnel.
Monitor registrations from public assistance agencies.
Review agency registration performance and act on your findings.

Project Vote has also drafted model legislation in collaboration with Demos that outlines more specifically the steps needed to get a state in compliance with the federal law. With a very small outlay of resources and a bit of interest and leadership, compliance with the federal law is easily obtainable. Therefore, ensuring compliance should be a priority for all legislators interested in increasing electoral participation in their state.

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From the Dispatch

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

Dec 10, 2009

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).
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Election Reforms to Drive Turnout

Nov 20, 2009

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.
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Low-Income Voters Added to the Voting Rolls through Improved NVRA Implementation

Jul 16, 2009

Perhaps the most impressive recent success story in expanding political participation has been the dramatic turnaround in public agency voter registrations in some states. With the prodding of Demos, Project Vote, and others under the umbrella of the NVRA Project, several states have reinvigorated compliance with this federal law that requires that certain state agencies offer voter registration to the individuals they serve. The most well known agencies are motor vehicle departments, but public assistance agencies are also included and it is they that can have the greatest impact on bringing low-income and marginalized citizens into the political process.
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Path Breaking Voter Registration Modernization Bill is Vetoed by Minnesota Governor Pawlenty

May 28, 2009

Minnesota legislators passed a landmark voter registration modernization bill recently that would, absent a veto, have registered or updated the registration of voters automatically when they applied for a driver's license, learner's permit or ID card. It would also use information in motor vehicle and corrections databases to verify and maintain voter rolls. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon and Sen. John Marty, would have made Minnesota the first state in the nation to proactively register voters, and made it among the most advanced in maintaining clean, accurate voter rolls. The bill was designed to build on the state's already first-in-the-nation portability bill, which requires automatic updates to voter registrations based on changes of address.
However, Governor Pawlenty vetoed this historic legislation last week...
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