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Election Day Registration Facts
New York State is on the verge of modernizing its voter registration and elections systems. Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), states are required to upgrade voting machines and strengthen registration requirements. New York State has for too long suffered from anachronistic registration requirements that have contributed to lower voter turnout. One important reform would be for New York State to allow citizens the opportunity to register and vote on Election Day.
Problem #1: New York State suffers from low voter turnout.
Historically, New York has had one of the worst voter turnouts of any state in the nation. According to a new report released by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 61.2% of the citizen voting age population turned out at the polls in the 2004 election.
Problem #2: New Yorkers cast a high number of provisional ballots, many of which are discarded.
According to the EAC, in the 2004 election New York voters cast the second highest number of provisional ballots (243,450) in the nation. Moreover, fewer than half (40%) of the provisional ballots cast in New York State were counted; the national average was 64.5 percent.
Solution -- Election Day Registration Helps Voter Turnout and Votes Counted.
Voters are most likely to “tune in” to candidates’ campaigns as Election Day nears. However, a state like New York requires that voters register no later than 25 days before an election. In the most recent election, the Presidential debates had not ended by New York’s registration deadline. So, just as some citizens become interested in an election and may wish to vote, they are prohibited from doing so due to New York’s deadline.
New York State is not alone with such a deadline, but states with shorter registration deadlines tend to have higher voter turnouts than state with longer ones. And states that allow voters the option of registering and voting on Election Day tend to have the highest voter turnouts. States that allow Election Day Registration (EDR) averaged 71.2% turnout, compared with the national average of 61.5%.
In addition, EDR states minimally, if at all, use provisional ballots, thus ensuring that more voters have their votes counted on Election Day. In fact, only a total of 374 and 95 provisional ballots were cast in the EDR states of Wisconsin and Wyoming, respectively.
How Would EDR Work In New York?
Under a proposal before the New York State legislature (A.6354/A.1598), eligible citizens who are not registered would be allowed to register and vote on Election Day. They would have to show one form of HAVA-compliant identification and testify that they had not already voted in the election. If their identification cannot be verified, the individual can vote by affidavit or provisional ballot, pending later verification of their residency and eligibility to vote.
Do Other States Allow EDR?
Yes. The states of Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming allow voters the option of registering and voting on Election Day. These states tend to have higher voter turnouts. In fact, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin — all EDR states — had the nation’s highest turnouts in the 2004 election. Other states are moving toward EDR: Montana just passed legislation to allow for EDR beginning in 2006 and Rhode Island allows EDR for Presidential elections.
What Is The Likely Impact of EDR on New York State Elections?
There would likely be a higher voter turnout, particularly from first-time voters (those with the least voting experience). A recent report estimated that a system of EDR would increase voter registration and turnout, especially among young voters and traditionally disenfranchised populations. According to the report, under EDR, New York could see its: state turnout rate increase by as much as 8.6 percentage points; a 12.3% increase in voter turnout by 18-25 year olds; an 11% increase in voter turnout by Latinos; and, an 8.7% increase for African Americans. In addition, it is likely that fewer provisional ballots would be cast and, thus, fewer votes discarded.
Does EDR Increase Voter Fraud?
There has been no evidence of serious problems in the states that currently allow EDR. In addition, under the legislation and under HAVA, voters would be required to present identification as part of the registration process as well as to testify that they has not already voted in the election.
For more information contact Miriam Kramer at New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) at (607) 272-7301
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