Categories - Registration

Registration Early Vote/In-Person Absentee Voting Voter List Maintenance Voting Machines and Poll Workers Vote By Mail Central Website Access Photo ID Felon Enfranchisement

---

The following states received 100% in Registration:

---

How states conduct voter registration dramatically impacts how accessible voting is. For instance, voting is easier in states that allow you to register on Election Day, while restrictive registration laws, like strict registration deadlines and registration drive barriers, stop many eligible voters from exercising their fundamental right to vote. It’s no coincidence that states with the most accessible voting laws are also the states with the highest voter turnout. For many states, restrictive registration laws remain in place because that’s the way it has always been. But, with changing technology, states have the opportunity to make elections more accessible while also maintaining election integrity. In particular, states can implement automatic registration – a system where the state automatically registers eligible voters using other state-maintained databases by quickly and accurately comparing different state-owned lists to determine eligibility. For instance, Oregon automatically registered more than 225,000 eligible voters, through interactions with the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, and nearly 100,000 of those individuals voted in the 2016 election. Further, by implementing laws that make it easier to register to vote – like allowing voters to register on Election Day – the voter rolls will be cleaner and, in turn, will lead to more efficient elections with shorter lines and wait times. Accessible third party registration laws are also important - making it easier to hold voter registration drives creates more opportunities for potential voters to register. And, by allowing people to register other voters, the state is further solidifying those citizens as active members in our democracy. To determine how accessible each state’s registration process is, the Scorecard includes the following metrics:

• Whether the state’s registration deadline is the Friday before Election Day or later
• Whether the state allows voters to register on Election Day
• Whether the state has automatic voter registration
• Whether the state has created barriers to voter registration drives, like requiring people to register or undergo a training before registering other voters
• Whether the state imposes criminal penalties for accidental mistakes when registering other voters

Each of these metrics provides useful insight into how easy it is for eligible citizens to register to vote.

For full details, please visit our detailed calculation spreadsheet.