What We Learned in 2013

As 2013 ends, it's the perfect time to reflect on what we learned this year.

This summer, Nonprofit VOTE released a two-part report, Can Nonprofits Increase Voting Among Their Clients, Constituents, and Staff? An Evaluation of the Track the Vote Program. While Part I of the report showcases the impact of nonprofit voter engagement on turnout in 2012, Part II tells the story of the nonprofits that talked to their communities about voting. By tracking the contacts nonprofits made with voters, we found:

• Nonprofits were particularly effective at increasing voter turnout among groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the electoral process. Voter turnout of nonprofit voters compared to all registered voters was: 18 points higher for Latino voters, 15 points higher for voters under the age of 30, and 15 points higher for voters with household incomes under $25,000. 
• Disparities in voter turnout by age, income, race, and ethnicity narrowed or disappeared among voters engaged by the nonprofits compared to the large turnout gaps evident among registered voters. 
• The most successful nonprofits made their voter engagement plans early, giving them time to pilot their programs and make adjustments. 
• Staffing is a key consideration. This means not only having a staff lead organizing and planning activities, but also ensuring there is adequate staffing--provided internally or by a partner--to carry out the efforts. 

In addition to our findings, other organizations also reported on new voting insights:

• Turnout in states with Election Day Registration was 12.5 points higher than in states without it. Election Day Registration accounted for approximately 1 in 8 ballots cast on November 6, 2012 in the eight states (and DC) that allowed it at the time. 
• For young people without college experience, the existence of a photo ID law in their state predicted lower turnout in 2012. However, the same report found that same-day registration improved overall youth turnout. 
• Turnout among voters with disabilities was strong, despite difficulties. 30.1 percent of voters with disabilities reported difficulty in voting at a polling place, compared to 8.4% of voters without disabilities. Nevertheless, 15.6 million people with disabilities reported voting in the November 2012 elections, turning out at a rate 5.7 percentage points lower than that of people without disabilities. 
• 75 percent of disenfranchised voters live in their communities, either under probation or parole supervision or having completed their sentence. 5.85 million Americans are prohibited from voting due to laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of felony offenses. However, since 1997, 23 states have modified felony disenfranchisement provisions to expand voter eligibility. As a result, from 1997 to 2010 an estimated 800,000 citizens have regained the right to vote.

Connecticut Debuts Election Day Registration

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This month's municipal elections in Connecticut marked the first time voters in the state could register on Election Day. In Connecticut, Election Day Registration is not available at polling places. Instead, each town has a designated Election Day Registration location.

Secretary of State Denise Merrill estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 people took advantage of Election Day Registration and that it was particularly popular in New Haven. She noted, "This is the first election it's in effect and it did very well; we had no problems."

Secretary Merrill tweeted that turnout was 31% statewide--a high of 77% in Bridgewater and a low of 5.21% in Hartford.

Learn more about the states that allow Election or Same-Day Registration. 

Webinar Recap: Voter Registration Modernization

Yesterday's webinar, Voter Registration Modernization, is now available. Many thanks to Myrna Pérez from the Brennan Center for Justice for joining us to share her expertise.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our nonpartisan resources on voter registration.

In addition to voter registration, candidate engagement is an effective way nonprofits can advocate for and engage their communities. Register now for our June 27th webinar, Candidate Engagement; Forums, Appearances and More, featuring MassVOTE's Cheryl Crawford.

Thursday: Voter Registration Modernization Webinar

There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar--don't miss out!
 
Voter Registration Modernization
Thursday May 16th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Over the last few years, a number of states have enacted laws and policies to update their voter registration systems--including innovations like online registration, Election Day Registration, and portable registration. This move toward voter registration modernization, supported by both voters and elections officials, has gained momentum and a number of states have already proposed new legislation in 2013. Join us for a review of voter registration updates and other important voter registration reforms. 

Featured Presenter: Myrna Pérez, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice. Ms. Pérez works on a variety of voting rights related issues, including redistricting, voter registration list maintenance, and access to the ballot box. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Ms. Pérez was the Civil Rights Fellow at Relman & Dane, a civil rights law firm in Washington, D.C. Ms. Pérez graduated from Columbia Law School in 2003, where she was a Lowenstein Public Interest Fellow. Following law school, Ms. Pérez clerked for the Honorable Anita B. Brody of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and for the Honorable Julio M. Fuentes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

May 16th Webinar: Voter Registration Modernization

In every state except North Dakota, voters must be registered before they can cast a ballot. Join us for a discussion about ways to update voter registration systems that make it easier for election offices to maintain lists and for voters to keep their information up to date:

Voter Registration Modernization
Thursday May 16th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Over the last few years, a number of states have enacted laws and policies to update their voter registration systems--including innovations like online registration, Election Day Registration, and portable registration. This move toward voter registration modernization, supported by both voters and elections officials, has gained momentum and a number of states have already proposed new legislation in 2013. Join us for a review of voter registration updates and other important voter registration reforms. 

Featured Presenter: Myrna Pérez, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice. Ms. Pérez works on a variety of voting rights related issues, including redistricting, voter registration list maintenance, and access to the ballot box. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Ms. Pérez was the Civil Rights Fellow at Relman & Dane, a civil rights law firm in Washington, D.C. Ms. Pérez graduated from Columbia Law School in 2003, where she was a Lowenstein Public Interest Fellow. Following law school, Ms. Pérez clerked for the Honorable Anita B. Brody of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and for the Honorable Julio M. Fuentes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

This Thursday: Voter Turnout in the 2012 Election

There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar on the 2012 election:

Voter Turnout in the 2012 Election
Thursday April 18th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

With elections now certified in all 50 states, Nonprofit VOTE has released America Goes to the Polls 2012, the latest in a series of reports on national turnout and voting trends. In this webinar we will share some of the report's most interesting findings, including state-by-state voter turnout rankings and factors affecting turnout, such as Election Day Registration and swing state status. We will also examine key voting trends among populations served by nonprofits, as well as proposals to expand voter registration and the opportunity to vote.

Election Day Registration is Popular in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, one in eight ballots--almost a million votes in all--came from voters who registered on Election Day just before voting in three recent statewide elections--November 2008, November 2010, and the June 2012 gubernatorial recall.

The popularity of the law in Wisconsin has remained relatively steady in general elections since 1984, ranging from a rate of 6.5% of all voters in 2002 to nearly 20% in 2006, when 1,500 small towns were required for the first time to register voters.

Election Day Registration allows voters to correct or update information before casting a ballot, provides a remedy for voters who find themselves omitted from the rolls, and accommodates those who decide to participate at the last minute. States that employ some form of same-day registration tend to have higher turnout rates than those without it.

Nevertheless, there have been several unsuccessful attempts to repeal Election Day Registration in Wisconsin by those who claim that it burdens election clerks and increases the risk of voter fraud. However, many clerks support the law and investigations have found no significant fraud problems. One city clerk said she sets up a separate area for registration so it doesn't slow others who are ready to vote and noted that "We've learned how to work with the current laws and we've got a pretty streamlined process."

Registration Improvements for California Voters

California is poised to become the newest Election Day Registration (EDR) state. Currently, Californians must be registered two weeks ahead of Election Day, but under a new bill eligible voters would be allowed to register up to and on Election Day.

If Governor Brown signs the bill, California will join ten other states and the District of Columbia in allowing some form of same day registration--but it would not take effect until 2016 after the completion of a statewide voter database.

EDR is implemented differently in every state, and in California, voters needing to register on Election Day would have to visit a county registrar's office (rather than their regular polling station) where they would be able to register and vote.

But that's not all: beginning in September of this year, California voters will be able to register to vote online. For about six weeks leading up to the October 22nd registration deadline, voters will likely be able to register in "a one-click process."

Although California voters can currently enter their information online and have a registration form automatically populated, they are still required to print, sign, and mail the form.

Online registration is made possible by coordination between the databases of the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles, authorized by law last fall. Not only will online registration streamline the process for voters, it will also save counties staff time and money by reducing data input from paper forms and eliminating possible data-entry errors.

Although Secretary of State Bowen said her office will undertake an extensive public awareness campaign once the system is operational, she expects that "an awareness campaign will take care of itself." Let's help the good news travel fast ahead of November 6th!

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The Benefits of Election Day Registration

With Connecticut joining the ranks of Election Day (or Same Day) Registration states, let's review how expanded registration opportunities make it possible for more people to participate. In 2010 Same Day Registration allowed almost 640,000 Americans to register and vote in the November 2, 2010 election. Moreover, states that allow for Same Day Registration consistently lead the nation in voter turnout.

A Demos factsheet highlights stats from the 2010 midterm elections and notes that average turnout in the nine states (and D.C.) with Same Day Registration was nearly 6 percentage points higher than in states without it.

2010 was the first time the District of Columbia used Same Day Registration after enacting it in 2009, while in Idaho Election Day registrants accounted for nearly 10% of ballots cast.

More than 23,000 New Hampshire residents registered and voted on Election Day in 2010, while almost 9,000 Wyoming residents used Same Day Registration to participate.

Maine and Minnesota both employ Election Day Registration and led the nation in voter turnout in the 2010 midterm with rates 15 percentage points higher than the national average. Turnout in Wisconsin and Iowa, who both have Same Day Registration, was 10 percentage points higher than the national average.

Nearly 10,000 Montana citizens registered and voted during the state's "late registration" period, which runs from the close of the regular registration period up to and including Election Day. In North Carolina turnout in the 2010 midterm was 8 percentage points higher than in the 2006 midterm. Nearly 40,000 voters used Same Day Registration to update their voter registration records and vote, along with an additional 21,000 new registrants.

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Election Day Registration Coming to Connecticut

Earlier this year, we tracked legislation in Connecticut that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver's license) and Election Day Registration.

As of last weekend, it appears that Connecticut will get both. The bill, passed by both the House and the Senate, goes to Governor Malloy who plans to sign it, saying "People are the key to our democracy, and this legislation improves participation in the most fundamental way—the ballot box."

Election Day Registration has been supported by advocates of increasing turnout in Connecticut where one out of three eligible voters is not registered. Secretary of State Merrill said, "We have the technology to allow eligible voters to register online from any computer or mobile device, and we have the security in place to allow those late deciding, busy and mobile voters to register and cast ballots on Election Day."

Once signed into law, Connecticut will become the 10th state--in addition to the District of Columbia--to enact Election Day Registration. Learn more about voter registration in your state and read our Election Day Registration factsheet in English and Spanish.

New and Updated Factsheets

To help you prepare for this year's election, we've updated and expanded our factsheet series! In addition to information on 501(c)(3) permissible activities and working with candidates, we have new factsheets on:

• Election Day Registration, explaining what it is, which states have it, and how it helps voters keep their registration current.
• Expanding Voter Registration Opportunities, discussing advances in online voter registration and pre-registration that streamline the registration process and make it more accessible.
• The National Voter Registration Act, describing the role of public assistance agencies that are required to offer voter registration to clients.

Visit our full factsheet library to learn more about these and other topics, including state voting laws for ex-offenders, ballot measure advocacy, and what nonprofit staff can do on and off the clock.

Connecticut Looks to Expand Registration Opportunities

On Monday, Connecticut Governor Malloy and Secretary of State Merrill held a press conference where they called for preserving and expanding access to voter registration.

The governor is proposing legislation that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver's license), Election Day Registration, and for absentee ballots to be governed by statute—giving legislators the power to adopt laws that address voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day. The proposed legislation would also increase penalties on any effort to block or impede voter access.

In addition to helping voters register more easily, these reforms can help the state make registration more efficient and keep a more accurate voter file. Secretary Merrill noted that "Many states have already made these reforms and by taking these important steps forward we can include a younger generation of voters and expand participation in our democracy."

The proposals will be introduced for the legislative session beginning in February. Hopefully they can be passed and adopted quickly. Whatever the result, cheers to Connecticut for looking to expand voter registration opportunities!

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of Thanksgiving, we wanted to share just a few of the many things Nonprofit VOTE is grateful for this year.

We're thankful for…

• Our amazing network of state and national partners and their commitment to expanding nonprofit voter engagement among their affiliates.
• Election Day Registration because it ensures that everyone who wants to vote can, without having to worry about missing the registration deadline. 
• Early voting opportunities--both by mail and in-person--that make voting more convenient and accessible for everyone.
• The upcoming 2012 election, because after two years of nonstop talk and speculation, it's finally less than a year away. (Sign up for our December 1st webinar on making a 2012 voter engagement plan.)
• The elections officials, Secretaries of State, local elections boards, and registrars who make elections happen!

This is a short list and doesn't even begin to cover the thousands of local nonprofits registering and engaging voters everyday. So while we don't have space to write out every thing, person, election reform, and organization we're thankful for, we still want to say "Thank you!"

Happy Thanksgiving from Nonprofit VOTE!

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Voting Rights Victory in Maine

We'll have a more complete summary of 2011 election results later, but we just couldn't wait to share Maine's victory! Yesterday, Maine voters decided to restore Election Day Registration (EDR)--leaving an almost 40 year tradition unbroken. Sixty percent of voters supported EDR, and have made it possible for future voters to register and cast their ballots on Election Day.

We're pleased to celebrate this voting rights victory and want to congratulate the organizations and volunteers that were able to put the issue before voters in just a few short months.

For more on other 2011 ballot measure results, visit Ballotpedia.

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Putting It to a Vote

It's official. Question 1 will appear on the Maine ballot this November.

Earlier this year we reported that a new law had ended almost four decades of Election Day Registration (EDR) in Maine. But EDR supporters mounted a whirlwind campaign, spearheaded by the Protect Maine Votes coalition, to repeal the law and restore Election Day Registration.

They had less than a month to collect more than 57,000 signatures in order to put the issue before voters this November. They submitted over 70,000 signatures and today the secretary of state confirmed that the referendum will move forward. 

Now that it's officially on the ballot, supporters will have to make their case to voters who will answer the question, "Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?"

Hopefully it won't be too difficult given EDR's popularity: almost 60,000 Maine voters used it in November 2008, along with 18,000 voters in the 2010 midterm.

Congrats to the Protect Maine Votes coalition on this victory--hopefully a taste of what's to come. 

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Coalition Pushes to Restore EDR in Maine

In June, we reported that Maine repealed its long tradition of allowing voters to register and cast their ballot on Election Day.

Luckily, the story doesn't end there: a people's veto campaign is underway to restore Election Day Registration (EDR) to Maine. The movement is spearheaded by a collation of nonprofits, including the Maine Women's Lobby, Engage Maine, the Disability Rights Center, Maine Education Association, the Maine League of Young Voters, and others.

Last week, the Maine secretary of state approved the wording for the referendum question that could potentially appear on the ballot: "Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?"

Signature gathering kick-off events were held on Friday, and volunteers began their work over the weekend. They have less than a month to collect more than 57,000 signatures in order to put the issue on the November ballot. If they are unable to meet that deadline, they would still have the opportunity to put the question before voters in June 2012.

EDR has been popular in Maine, with close to 60,000 voters using it in November 2008, along with 18,000 voters in last year's midterm. By making voting more convenient, EDR helps to boost turnout--states with EDR have turnout rates that are 10-12% higher than states without it.

While many states are restricting access to the ballot with new voter ID laws and shortened early voting periods, it's exciting to see a well-organized, nonprofit-led movement taking a stand for voting rights.

Read our factsheet to learn more about what 501(c)(3) nonprofits can (and can't) do on ballot measures and join us later this month for a webinar on ballot questions.

Want to help? Maine voters can help preserve EDR by volunteering to collect signatures.

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Maine Bids Farewell to EDR

The state that pioneered Election Day Registration (EDR) has now passed legislation ending the practice. Yesterday Maine Governor Paul LePage signed a bill that ended the state's long tradition of EDR.

Supporters of the bill claim it will reduce fraud, however opponents point out that there has only been one case of fraud linked to the law in the almost four decades it was in place. Supporters of Election Day Registration are considering a people's veto campaign that would restore EDR in Maine.

The effect on turnout remains to be seen. But many suspect that Maine, who was first in voter turnout last year, will struggle to hold on to the top spot without EDR.

Maine is not alone in restricting or eliminating convenient voting options. This year, there have also been reductions in the number of early voting days in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

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