Justice official: Register voters automatically

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Justice official: Register voters automatically
November 17, 2012
By PETE YOST, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of the top enforcers of the nation's civil rights laws said Friday that government should be responsible for automatically registering citizens to vote by using existing databases to compile lists of all eligible residents in each jurisdiction.

The proposal by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, chief of the Justice Department's civil rights division, follows an election with breakdowns that forced voters in many states to wait in line for hours.

In remarks at George Washington University law school, Perez said census data shows that of 75 million adult citizens who failed to vote in the 2008 presidential election, 60 million were not registered and therefore ineligible to cast a ballot.

Perez says one of the biggest barriers to voting in this country is an antiquated registration system.


Read more: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/17/politics/voter-registration/

[Posteritatis]

1. That's how it's done up here

Voter registration's largely tied to tax records/returns - if you exist in the eyes of Revenue Canada, you're registered to vote and get your updated information as to when and where in the mail about a week into an election campaign.

[mac56]

55. That's brilliant.

[truthisfreedom]

59. Whenever you renew your license or change your address on your license in MN you're given the option

of registering to vote at your new address. I did so earlier this year and received my registration update immediately.

[silverweb]

2. K&R

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Rethugs will fight this brilliant idea, of course.

It increases the voting population and their knowledge base, and it just makes way too much sense.

[Tigress DEM]

3. THANK Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez for his PROGRESSIVE Election Proposal!!

My email in support of the AAG's proposal.


[e-mail]

THANK YOU! AAG Perez for your Progressive Election Proposal!

PETE YOST of the Washington AP reports that you have come up with a common sense proposal for the Government to register citizens to vote using existing databases to compile lists of all eligible residents in each jurisdiction.

We should NEVER have election breakdowns that force voters to wait in line for hours. Every vote counts, so count every vote can not even begin to happen if so many are blocked from registering to vote in the first place.

Your plan removes one huge barrier in an election system that seems rigged against the voters and needs to become simpler and even more transparent in order to restore our faith in the electoral process again.

I heard about this on Democratic Underground and it's also been reported by MPR. Over 150,000 people registered on the Democratic Underground will celebrate your victory when your proposal becomes the new standard. We know it will be an uphill battle, so let us know if there is anything you need from the “We the People” ranks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/17/politics/voter-registration/

[SunSeeker]

4. That just makes TOO much sense.

I mean, what does this guy think voting is, a right or something?

[Taverner]

5. Agree 100%

[freshwest]

6. Best solution. Election reform is what Obama said would be a priority. We need to push for this.

We can't stop the GOP gerrymandering scam until 2021. And we can't have a discussion or action on this if we fail in 2014. We must keep supporting the majority vote. This would do it on the way to the other reforms.

[AAO]

13. We're in the drivers seat now - we just can afford to drive intoxicated.

[freshwest]

17. No, no running off into the ditch like in 2010. Keep networking.

[harmonicon]

30. Unfortunately, not enough Dems agree.

I'm amazed to hear people who are pro-gerrymandering around DU - so long as it helps their candidate or district, it's fine with them. That attitude has to stop. I would love for the Democratic platform to include a call for non-partisan drawing of districts, instant runoff voting where possible, and any measures which would generally help our country to become more democratic, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[highplainsdem]

7. Brilliant and very practical idea. Republicans will hate it.

[druidity33]

8. K&R and get rid of Electronic Voting!

Paper Ballots hand counted! I'd also like to see Election Day as a National Holiday. Why not make Civics a required class again? We can involve students in counting the ballots. Same day registration and early voting should be National...

any other ideas?

[xtraxritical]

25. Or, if machines are used, have them print out two uniqley numbered copies of the ballot

with one deposited in a locked box, by the voter, before leaving the polling place and the voter retains the other copy. This provides an unassailable audit trail against fraud.

[Tigress DEM]

27. OOOOOHHH!! I LIKE IT!! nt

[harmonicon]

31. Well, having voters retain a copy is the surest way to make vote-buying a big business.

Just name a price for a vote for a certain candidate. The voter will show you their ballot, and could pay out accordingly. No time wasted with trying to buy votes with silly adds. Fuck issues - who's paying the most?

[ReasonableToo]

41. Agree...

Yes, I agree vote buying would happen.

If its a national holiday than people can volunteer to observe counting in their own precinct. You get citizens to observe the totals and video the counting process. The citizens can verify that the total they got shows in the state election site.

[xtraxritical]

42. Then ef it, keep the status quo. Vote buying would be a lot easier to apprehend and prove

all it would take is some under cover DOJ narcs.

[ReasonableToo]

48. Still need paper ballots...

...the voter should see a paper ballot with their selection and then they put that paper ballot into a locked box. Before electronic voting, some precincts had an optical scan where it would suck the ballot in and count the votes. The thing is that they could be randomly checked as a rule and a recount could be done for all the machines as necessary.

[CaptJasHook]

44. Veteran's day should be Voting day

I am very certain that Veterans would be honored to have the day that celebrates their sacrifice include that for which they fought for.

I would go even further and STRONGLY ask that the only businesses allowed open on that day are essential services, grocery stores and restaurants, up until noon (German style).

[Blue4Texas]

9. Tie it in to the Social Security Data Base

Verify by age, address/zip code ( to sort out by precincts, states, etc) X-reference any exceptions (felony ineligibilities etc) and cast the vote in each election by name and last 4-digits of the SSN for privacy considerations to vote anywhere in US or on line

[meeshrox]

15. I like that system! n/t

[defacto7]

10. Yes!! this is the right way to do it...

Automatareg!

[Kingofalldems]

11. Republican sympathizers will not like this one

K and R

[colsohlibgal]

12. Indeed, Why Should The Burden Be On Individuals

They sure could find eligible men during years when the military draft was on.

This makes so much sense, why has it not been put in place before?

I'd love to hear the righties argue that this is a bad idea.

[XemaSab]

16. Don't young men still get a card in the mail?

They know who you are, where you are, and how old you are.

[harmonicon]

32. I'm sure they do - don't women now too?

You're talking about the selective service card, right? Having to fill that sucker out is about the creepiest thing I ever had to do. I assume they're still sent out.

[meeshrox]

14. Finally!

I've been saying this for years, to dumbfounded looks in reply from friends. What a concept! Hooray, that someone at the top comes out and suggests it!

[LiberalArkie]

18. Register people when the social security DB says they are 18 and remove them when SS death DB says

they are dead. Move their voting locations via the US Post Office move forms.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. LMSP kicking...n/t

[lovemydog]

20. Great idea.

I'm all for it.

[ibegurpard]

21. Believe it or not there would be people opposed to this

I know that my brother-in-law is not registered to vote (and thank god for that considering his political views)
His reason is that he thinks it will keep him from being put in jury-duty pools.

[Tigress DEM]

28. Yeah, and we could do like the Aussies and charge a fine if someone doesn't vote. lol nt

[Thor_MN]

36. In Minnesota, that and not having a Driver's License will keep one out of jury duty pools.

However, I'm knocking on 50's door and have never been called. My two sisters have also never been called. My little brother lives in DC and gets called every three years like clockwork. I'm not sure what makes up the pool database in DC, but there is such a high rate of jury trials to residents in DC that they made a law limiting jury duty to once every three years, and that's how often they get called.

[Daniel537]

50. Yeah, i'm actually not very supportive of this idea

because there are plenty of people in this country who aren't interested in participating in the political process, as is their right, and that should be respected. But at the same time we want to make it easier for those who want to participate to do so, so i think we need to find some kind of compromise in the middle, such as same-day registration.

[Posteritatis]

56. If they don't want to participate, then they don't show up at the polls. Simple.

Automatic registration isn't mandatory voting.

[Humanist_Activist]

53. They could have an "opt-out" option, its automatically opt in, but people could ask to be...

de-registered, as it were. Also, I've been registered to vote since 1996 and only called to jury duty once, which was cancelled before I even showed up.

[Change has come]

22. K & R

[rhett o rick]

23. Who is he addressing? Can the federal govment tell states how to register voters? nm

[Scootaloo]

29. Federal elections SHOULD be handled by the federal govenrment

"Leaving it to the states" is a relic of compromises over slavery.

[rhett o rick]

38. I agree, but what determines who has the responsibility? Is it covered by the

Constitution?

[Humanist_Activist]

51. According to the Constitution, that responsibility is the State's to bear...

Including how to allocate House Representatives and what qualifications people need to meet in order to cast a vote, as long as those requirements don't violate existing Amendments.

[rhett o rick]

54. Thanks. Looks like the 15th Ammend applies. nm

[Mr.Bill]

24. Having to register to practice my constitutional right to vote

Make no more sense than registering my right to practice religion.

[harmonicon]

33. That's how I feel about absurd voter ID laws.

It's like if I had to show an ID if I were to pray.

[Heywood J]

39. There's no problem with practicing multiple religions at the same time.

There's a big problem with voting twice in the same election.

[Mr.Bill]

45. That's why it's a felony.

There are ways to prevent people from voting twice without registering people.

[Heywood J]

49. Please explain, I'm all ears. (NT)

[Mr.Bill]

58. What's to explain? Voting twice is a felony.

There are things around us every day that would cause harm to others and what keeps people from doing them is the penalty if they are caught.

[Heywood J]

62. Really?

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/violent-crime/violent-crime

In 2011, an estimated 14,612 persons were murdered in the United States.
There were an estimated 83,425 forcible rapes reported to law enforcement in 2011.
In 2011, there were an estimated 354,396 robberies nationwide.
In 2011, there were an estimated 751,131 aggravated assaults in the nation.

[Mr.Bill]

64. Probably why our prisons are bursting at the seams.

You know, from felony convictions.

What's to keep people from registering twice with fake IDs? (Other than the fact that it's a felony)

[Heywood J]

65. Probably the low number

of convincing fake IDs.

The honor system hasn't worked here since the days when (if) you could leave your door unlocked when you went to work. The next progression would be purple thumbs.

[Sunlei]

26. yes, start this right away.This will save all the states multi-millions and is fair to citizens

The Gov knows who everyone (legal) is anyway.

[Agony]

34. Election Day should be a national holiday

[avebury]

35. Voter registration should be automatic. nt

[California Expat]

37. Resgister everyone

Sweden uses the equivalent of the SSN to register voters. There is a database containing all SSNs, it could include Citizenship status as one of the fields and we all have Social Security cards.

I am not in favor of Voter ID as used by the republikons, but if everyone was able to use their SSN card to vote with, think of all the voters we would have. Remember, the more people who vote, the more likely a Democrat will win.

[Old Codger]

40. seems to me

That not only registering automatically but absolutely bi-partisan, ie no indication whatsoever as to any party affiliation would stop any attempts to purge voter lists.

[FlaGranny]

43. In addition to that

it would be good to have a required number of voting locations per population and a national holiday and/or month long early voting with enough locations to prevent long lines.

[CreekDog]

61. We have most of that in California and it works well

our urban areas often have walkable distances to polling places, there are a maximum number of people that can be assigned to one precinct, as well as other rules to reduce/prevent lines and provide uniform access.

and then we have extensive early voting, no excuses absentee ballots (and one can sign up to automatically be a full time absentee voter) --all these things and the above making voting convenient and easy, even while the ballot gets longer.

it can be done.

[dumbledork]

46. That's the stupidest idea I've heard in years.

Do we REALLY want to give voting rights to any entity with a pseudonym? I don't think so.. Isn't the electorate already dumbed down enough?

[ProSense]

47. Thanks for kicking this thread.

I would have missed it.

Bravo to the Asst AG Perez.

[Humanist_Activist]

52. It may help increase voter turnout, and may kickstart political education as well...

I don't see it being overly negative, and if its partisanship you are worried about, increased voter turnout generally benefits Democrats a lot more than Republicans.

[dumbledork]

66. Yes, increased -turnout' does...but how would the metrics change when people are basically 'drafted'

into the voting pool? We already have millions of low-information people casting ballots...this goofy idea would just increase the numbers by large factors.

[Humanist_Activist]

68. Not really, it doesn't make voting mandatory...

yes, they will get the mailers all registered voters get now every year or so(depending on timing of elections, local, state, and national), which may make them curious, but it wouldn't force them to go to the polls, so turnout might increase, but I doubt it would be by much. Mostly this would just streamline a process, no more, no less.

[Posteritatis]

57. Voting rights aren't "given." (nt)

[CreekDog]

60. if you are against "giving rights" then let's start with taking yours away

since you don't seem to understand the concept of a "right", maybe, by your own standard, you should not be voting.

[Kingofalldems]

63. Best idea ever

[Uncle Joe]

67. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Judi Lynn.