Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently made a significant announcement, declaring the implementation of automatic voter registration (AVR) in his state. With this move, Pennsylvania joined the ranks of 24 other states and the District of Columbia that have adopted AVR since 2015.
Automatic voter registration is a system in which eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they interact with specific government services, although they have the option to opt out if they choose to do so.
Governor Shapiro’s tweet on September 19th highlighted the change: “From now on in Pennsylvania, if you’re an eligible voter getting or renewing your driver’s license or ID card at the DMV, you will be automatically registered to vote unless you choose to opt out. Pennsylvania is an automatic voter registration state.”
The pioneering states of California and Oregon first introduced automatic voter registration in 2015, followed by Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In these states, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) automatically enrolls eligible voters unless they decide to decline registration. In Alaska, registration takes place through the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend program, which annually pays dividends to permanent residents.
Charles Stewart III, a prominent elections expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), noted that automatic voter registration has primarily been championed by Democrats for two main reasons. Firstly, they view it as a policy that makes voter registration more accessible. Secondly, some Democrats believe that this approach could bring more Democratic voters into the electorate, while Republicans express concerns about this potential outcome.
Stewart III argued that the electoral impact of automatic voter registration is likely to be minor. Many of those automatically registered do not end up voting, and among those who do, their political preferences tend to be evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. He stated, “The research suggests that the political effects are pretty negligible, despite what some advocates claim and opponents worry about.”
The academic explained that most of the individuals registered through AVR are considered “low propensity voters,” and they are less likely to vote compared to those who register through other means. Furthermore, the political affiliation of AVR registrants varies, with some surprisingly leaning Republican and conservative in certain cases.
In conclusion, while AVR adds more registrants to the rolls, its impact on actual voter turnout and election outcomes is expected to be minimal when compared to other factors influencing political results.