Governor Jerry Brown Signs Auto Registration Bill Into Law Today
October 10, 2015
Rock the Vote applauds California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for signing a bill into law today that will automatically register eligible citizens to vote when they interact with the DMV. According to the Brennan Center, there are 6.6 million eligible but unregistered citizens in California, and this measure could dramatically boost California’s registration rate, which was ranked 38th in the country in 2012.
“Our democracy is strongest when all eligible voters are empowered to participate. Implementing automatic voter registration is an effective ways to boost participation, especially when it comes to young people across California,” ”said Rock the Vote President Ashley Spillane. “We thank Governor Brown for his leadership and bold action to increase voter participation in the state of California, and we hope other states will follow his lead in making registration and voting easier for young people.”
The results from a statewide survey, released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) in June of this year, found that 69% of California adults favor registering all eligible citizens to vote when they go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
California is the third state in the country to pass automatic registration and the second state to enact it. This law simplifies the registration process by putting the onus on the government to register eligible voters. California is the largest state to adopt automatic voter registration.
In March of this year, Oregon became the first state to enact automatic voter registration, and the New Jersey’s legislature passed a bill this past June that Gov. Chris Christie has yet to sign.
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About Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the
United States building the political power of young people. Fusing pop culture,
politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting
bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral
process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since
1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and
technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the
Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying
voter registration and elections for young adults.
Rock the Vote has run the largest voter registration drives for young people on
record during the past six Presidential elections. In 2008 and 2012, our
on-the-ground efforts, online organizing, and cutting-edge tools and
technologies made us the largest non-partisan voter engagement campaign in the
nation. All of these efforts have resulted in Rock the Vote processing nearly
seven million voter registrations, bringing millions more to the polls, and
becoming a trusted resource for young people, government agencies, and
technological innovators passionate about political discourse and engagement.
See more information here.
As of yesterday, Vermont became the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia, to offer same-day voter registration – a move that will make it easier for young people to exercise their rights at the ballot box.
There are significant benefits of same day voter registration. It leads to higher turnout, on average by 10 percentage points compared to states without same day registration, partially because it eliminates deadlines that occur before most voters are actually tuned into what’s happening in an election.
To learn more about the benefits of same day registration, check out this great explainer from our friends at Demos: http://www.demos.org/publication/what-same-day-registration-where-it-available
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2015
Rock the Vote Statement on Rhode Island Online Voter Registration Legislation
Legislation Also Creates Four Week Early Voting Period
Washington, DC – Rock the Vote President Ashley Spillane released the following statement after Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea yesterday unveiled a plan that would allow for online voter registration and a four week long early voting period:
“Our democracy is strongest when all eligible voters are empowered to participate. Implementing early voting and online registration policies should be a matter of commonsense; both are easy, effective ways to boost participation, especially when it comes to young people across Rhode Island. We hope making registration and voting easier for young people in Rhode Island will be seriously considered.”
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About Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.
Rock the Vote has run the largest voter registration drives for young people on record during the past six Presidential elections. In 2008 and 2012, our on-the-ground efforts, online organizing, and cutting-edge tools and technologies made us the largest non-partisan voter engagement campaign in the nation. All of these efforts have resulted in Rock the Vote processing nearly seven million voter registrations, bringing millions more to the polls, and becoming a trusted resource for young people, government agencies, and technological innovators passionate about political discourse and engagement. See more information here.
By Nathan Howard and Ashley Spillane
Oregon is a land of firsts: vote by mail, public beaches, the bottle bill. When there’s a problem, this state finds an answer and leads the way.
The Beaver State just did it again.
Oregon has passed New Motor Voter, becoming the first state in America to proclaim: If you are an eligible voter, it is our policy to get you a ballot.
From now on, when you go to the DMV, you’ll be registered to vote without any extra steps needed (unless you choose to opt out).
As leading nonprofits working to register, educate and mobilize young voters, Rock the Vote and the Bus Project applaud the work of Oregon lawmakers in updating the state’s registration system. The new bill will grant hundreds of thousands of Oregonians access to vote – not to mention that the state will save about $0.80 for every new registration that’s not the old paper way.
Rock the Vote and the Bus Project have registered hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to vote. But we have always known it shouldn’t be necessary, and we want to focus more on educating people about the elections. Don’t get us wrong - we love what we do. But America is a beacon of free and fair democratic elections and our current system falls short when any citizen trying to vote is turned away for having moved or missing a registration deadline.
Our organizations have a long history with making voter registration more accessible. Back in 1993, Rock the Vote sent thousands of letters to Congress to pass the National Voter Registration Act (the original Motor Voter bill). Twenty years later, it’s the most popular way to register to vote in America.
And the Bus Project helped then-Secretary of State (now Gov.) Kate Brown chart a path to a barrier-free democracy in Oregon. Thanks to her leadership, Oregon was one of America’s first adopters of online voter registration. And Oregon will again make history as the first to launch New Motor Voter.
These provisions will eventually save Oregon millions of dollars: Maricopa County, Arizona, found that each New Motor Voter-type electronic registration costs an estimated $0.03, versus $0.83 per paper voter registration. It will also ensure voters are registered without typos that happen when transferring information from paper forms.
Efficiency, security and accuracy are reason enough to cheer the passage of New Motor Voter. But we are most excited by the citizens who lacked access to the system before and will finally be heard.
Rural Oregonians, who have never been reached by our nonpartisan voter registration drives. Disadvantaged young people who were never taught they needed to register. Working parents who too often moved houses and missed their ballots. And so many more citizens with experiences and opinions that deserve representation.
As these new voters enter our democracy, many will be hungry for information and education on the issues. Alongside the many great civic organization in Oregon, we are ready and excited to help.
Nathan Howard is interim executive director of the Oregon Bus Project, and Ashley Spillane is president of Rock the Vote.