Automatic Voter Registration.

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   tsmogposted 22 months ago

   Automatic Voter Registration is now implemented in 24 states with Pennsylvania recently enacting its plan through executive action, which is being criticized. From Ballotpedia comes a statement by Governor Shapiro (D) and contesting the means, House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R);
   
   "Shapiro said the change was "a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars."
   
   "Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV – all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration," Shapiro said.
   
   House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R), meanwhile, criticized Shapiro for using executive guidance to implement the change. "The problem here is not necessarily the end, but the means. … This unilateral action on the eve of what is likely to be a hotly contested and close election will cause many Pennsylvania voters to continue to question the security and results of our system," Cutler said.
   
   From Ballotpedia arrives:
   
   Automatic voter registration
   https://ballotpedia.org/Automatic_voter … DD076B0395
   
   So, what is the facts surrounding how many eligible voters are registered. Ballotpedia provides that information through 2022 with;
   
   Voter registration
   https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_registrat … statistics
   
   Voting is voluntary here, yet in 22 nations it is mandatory.
   
   From the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln said. "and the government of the people, by the people, for the people".
   
   Should government seek to gain the greatest amount of citizens participation with voting?
   
   Is voting a civic duty?
   
   Is Automatic Voter Registration removing liberty or providing for it?
   
   Thoughts?

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      Credence2posted 22 months agoin reply to this

      My thoughts? I am all for it. I could not help but to notice in your link that this policy has been primarily adopted by blue states for the most part.
      
      https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pennsyl … =103321334
      
      Key excerpts as to why Republicans and Conservatives are so resisting to the idea.
      
      "Making it easier for uninterested, uninformed people to wield political power will inevitably lead to terrible political choices. It expands the pool of citizens to conscript into jury duty, and gives more votes to harvest," the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania said."
      
      The AVR has already been set to only automatically register people that are otherwise eligible to vote. If a voter is truly not interested he or she will not bother to cast a ballot. I don't see any reason to make the process in of itself difficult. But the comment speaks to the fear of Rightwingers and Republicans who have the gall to think that people who would not vote for their candidates constitute the uninformed and ignorant.   I am not either and I shout from the rooftops that Republicans suck. Allowing working and poorer people easier access to ballot is just fair.
      --------
      "Although Pennsylvania flipped blue in 2020 without AVR, Rosenberg says that AVR could still be seen as a disadvantage to Republicans, because "when it becomes easier and easier to vote, it's to the disadvantage of Republican candidate, because that means that there's likely to be more turnout, particularly among Democrats that might be somewhat disadvantaged by the prior restrictions that are in place."
      
      
      So, why do Republicans believe that more voter turnout is to their disadvantage? We, in this country, should be encouraging people to participate in the political process not discourage them. What are Republicans really afraid of? I have to wonder.
      
      So, there is my opinion....

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         tsmogposted 22 months agoin reply to this

         Thanks! Along your thoughts my gut feeling is a reasonable attempt/achievement to enhance voting for all citizens is a plus. Isn't that what democracy is founded on? Yet, I don't think I would go so far as those nations that make it mandatory. Voting, in my view, should be voluntary as in exercising Liberty.
         
         About mandatory voting next is an old 2014 article about it. I noticed Brazil is one of them, so maybe Dr. Mark can share his experience with it as he lives there. I will ask some friends from Australia about at Facebook.
         
         22 countries where voting is mandatory by PBS (Nov 3, 2014)
         https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/2 … -mandatory

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         1. 82

            Credence2posted 22 months agoin reply to this

            TSmog, I still have yet to hear from Republicans why Donald Trump accusation is supposed to be true
            ----
            Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent called Mr Trump’s post “a striking admission”.
            
            “Donald Trump just openly stated that making it easier to vote in Pennsylvania is a direct threat both to the Republican Party and to *his own presidential campaign*,” he wrote on X.
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            https://news.yahoo.com/trump-rants-agai … 54090.html

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               tsmogposted 22 months agoin reply to this

               Thanks for the link, Cred. I read it and what stood out for me at this time was the concluding paragraph;
               
               “Trump and Republicans shouldn’t oppose automatic voter registration ... if Rs and right-leaning pundits take seriously the idea that Trump and right wing populism mobilizes their own disaffected voters, AVR might actually benefit *them*,” he added. “I mean this sincerely. If one of the virtues of right wing populism is that it has subterranean majoritarian appeal that’s being suppressed by liberal elites, then why aren’t the right wing populist thinker types in favor of making voting easier?”
               
               Here, in Calif, we, too, have automatic voter registration, yet you can opt out. It is a matter of the applicant reading the paper work when at the DMV. From the FAQ about what is called the California Motor Voter;
               
               "Federal law requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to provide customers the opportunity to register to vote while completing a driver license (DL) or identification (ID) card or change of address transaction.
               
               Under state law and the California Motor Voter program, DMV customers who indicate they are eligible to vote will be automatically registered to vote, unless they opt out during their DL/ID or change of address transaction.
               
               The link to the FAQ next;
               
               https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/califo … -questions

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