States Are Improving Elections in 2013

This year has seen a number of new laws that will improve ballot access and streamline the election process for both voters and elections officials.

Colorado recently passed the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act that includes provisions for Election Day Registration and portable registration, in addition to creating a bipartisan task force to study voting changes and consider future reforms.

Last month, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed HB 7013 into law which will take effect January 1, 2014. The new law increases the number of early voting days and hours allowed, expands the types of sites that can be used as early voting locations, allows new residents to change their addresses at the polls, and gives absentee voters who forgot to sign their ballot the opportunity to correct the mistake.

In addition to expanding early voting, Maryland will allow same-day registration during the early voting period beginning in 2016. Both Virginia and West Virginia have passed online voter registration, bringing the number of states that have passed or implemented online registration to nineteen.

Expanding Access to Voting in 2013

See an enlarged map at: http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/images/2013_expansive_map.png

The Brennan Center has been tracking and analyzing the efforts of states to increase registration opportunities, expand early voting, and modernize election systems.

They reviewed the nearly 200 bills to expand voting access that were introduced in 45 states in 2013. Most have failed while a few have passed--like those in New Mexico to automate voter registration at DMV offices, in Oklahoma to make existing photo ID laws less restrictive, and in Virginia to allow online voter registration. 

41 bills in 21 states are currently active, meaning there has been some form of activity, such as a hearing or vote, including:

• Colorado: Last week the state House passed the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act, which would allow Election Day registration, create portable registration, and establish a modernized elections commission. 
• Nevada: A legislative committee passed SB 375, which would digitize voter registration at state agencies, expand online registration, and permit pre-registration by 16 and 17-year-olds. 
• Florida: The state House voted 118-1 to reinstate the early voting days that had been eliminated before the 2012 election. The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate. 

Perhaps most importantly, the Brennan Center notes that many of these bills are drawing bipartisan support: In Colorado, Democrats in the legislature worked with the mostly-Republican Colorado County Clerks Association to draft a modernization bill; Republicans introduced an online registration bill in Pennsylvania and passed it in Virginia, and; New Mexico's new law received broad bipartisan support and was signed by a Republican governor.

Through these and other election reforms we can help ensure that all eligible Americans can register and cast a ballot. Learn more about expanding access to voting in our next webinar on Voter Registration Modernization on May 16th.

Lax NVRA Compliance Leaves Void for Nonprofits to Fill

Last month, Project Vote and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a complaint to force Louisiana into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), and ensure that low-income residents have the opportunity to register to vote. The suit follows in the wake of other successful complaints in both Ohio and Missouri where the number of voters registering at public agencies has ballooned. In Ohio in the first six months of 2010 more than 100,000 low-income residents registered to vote at public assistance offices. That number (17,000 applications per month) is almost a ten-fold increase in the number of registration applications public assistance offices collected before the lawsuit (1,775 per month).

Lawsuits are not always necessary to force compliance, however. Colorado officials worked proactively to bring the state into compliance with the NVRA and as a result, public agency registrations in Colorado increased from just over 3,300 in 2007 to nearly 44,000 in 2010.

While it is critical that public agencies fulfill their obligation to register voters, this alone is not enough. There is still a crucial role for nonprofits to play. Many nonprofit clients receive public assistance and when state agencies do not actively register these potential voters, nonprofits must ensure that their clients nevertheless have an opportunity to register to vote. Even in states that are fully compliant with the NVRA, many eligible voters will still be missed, including individuals served by your organization. Nonprofits can help close this gap by ensuring that your clients have the opportunity to register, participate, and make their voices heard. Get started today!

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