Universal Voter Registration

On this blog, we have repeatedly mentioned universal voter registration as one reform that would increase voter participation in elections. It is an idea which does not get much consideration by policymakers here in New Mexico.

But our friends in Oregon are considering such a bill. HB 2177 was introduced at the request of Secretary of State (and soon to be governor) Kate Brown. It would allow automatic registration of all Oregonians who have a drivers license or state issued ID (through the Department of Transportation).

While this bill clearly will not cover all Oregonians, legislative analysts expect it to double the number of registered voters. This is a huge step towards making elections more accessible to citizens. If this works out, it could then expand to include all citizens, by including lists of taxpayers and others.

We applaud Secretary of State Brown for bringing this up,and will follow its progress closely.

[Thanks to Richard Winger and Ballot Access News for bringing this to our attention]