Oregon considering automatic voter registration

[greenforest32]

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Read more at http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/03/oregon_secretary_of_state_want.html

This is what Democrats should be pushing, not just online and election-day registration.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Freedom State.

[greenforest32]

I was getting jealous with Connecticut and California (and Maryland?) recently passing election-day registration but hopefully we can up the entire game.

I'll be surprised if it gets Republican votes.

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[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Is that basically what North Dakota has?

[greenforest32]

Yeah, North Dakota's system is similar to automatic registration in that you shouldn't be turned away due to lack of registration (provided eligible = registered).

http://www.nd.gov/sos/electvote/voting/voter-qualifi.html

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Though I wonder how you would handle postal (early) voting with no registration?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Yeah, North Dakota's system is similar to automatic registration in that you shouldn't be turned away due to lack of registration (provided eligible = registered).

http://www.nd.gov/sos/electvote/voting/voter-qualifi.html

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Though I wonder how you would handle postal (early) voting with no registration?

Well, I guess it is a little different in that there is actual registration here. Anyways, this is a good idea. I assume it's easy to check for citizenship with the Social Security number that the DMV probably has. If so, opponents won't have any valid reason against this.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Freedom State.

Good to see!

[Landslide Lyndon]

A no-brainer measure, which is why Republicans will bitterly oppose it.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Freedom State.

Good to see!

[minionofmidas]

A no-brainer measure, which is why Republicans will bitterly oppose it.

They're just defending their monopoly on no-brains.

[greenforest32]

A no-brainer measure, which is why Republicans will bitterly oppose it.

Yup, the election-day registration abolishing (Maine in 2011, Montana in 2011, Montana in 2013, Wisconsin "considering") and early-vote cutting (Ohio, Florida, etc) party is morally opposed to expanding voter registration through automation:

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/03/republican_lawmakers_express_c.html

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It would be nice if Democrats unanimously supported this but even in that best case scenario Republicans could still have leverage to stop it via the 3/5 supermajority requirement to raise taxes in Oregon. Democrats don't have a 3/5 supermajority in either chamber and the state's hospital provider tax (partially funds Medicaid) is due to expire this year with legislators wanting to extend it which apparently falls under the 3/5 rule meaning that Republican votes will be required.

That will be separate but tied in to the Medicaid expansion which I don't think will fall under the 3/5 rule since the the federal government provides 100% funding for the first three years meaning no offsets such as increased taxes are required in 2013.

We'll see what happens from now (the legislative session ends on July 13).

[Mehmentum]

Democrats really should pass this wherever they're in power. 

[Tender Branson]

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[Tender Branson]

A few other notes:

Because the US does not have a uniform address-based CRR (Central Residence Registry), which we have here, that tracks every move in and out of a city, what about the following solutions ?

The OR Sec. of State wants to use several registers to automatically register most people like the driver license database etc.

But: This won't register all people, just about 90-95%.

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

After 120 years, virtually everyone would be registered to vote automatically.

Some experts would have to figure though what would happen with updates in the database status if the person moves, or dies or is born outside the US etc.

Also, persons who are given citizenship by the US must be added by the Ministry automatically to that database.

Of course, the US registration system right now and even with the above changes is a big mess and would be much better off if they installed the system we have where everyone is automatically registered and sent election information cards ahead of the election with the precinct name and address on.

[Alcon]

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

I mean, for anyone who didn't already fall into the 90-95% with DMV records, that baby would have an 18-year-stale mailing address by the time she was eligible.

But automatic voter registration based on public records in a vote-by-mail state would be pretty awesome.

[Tender Branson]

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

I mean, for anyone who didn't already fall into the 90-95% with DMV records, that baby would have an 18-year-stale mailing address by the time she was eligible.

But automatic voter registration based on public records in a vote-by-mail state would be pretty awesome.

Of course, but there could be some provision that parents notify the government agency of an address change or face a penalty.

Isn't that the law in CA already, that drivers have to inform the DMV within a certain period if they move to another address ?

[Alcon]

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

I mean, for anyone who didn't already fall into the 90-95% with DMV records, that baby would have an 18-year-stale mailing address by the time she was eligible.

But automatic voter registration based on public records in a vote-by-mail state would be pretty awesome.

Of course, but there could be some provision that parents notify the government agency of an address change or face a penalty.

Isn't that the law in CA already, that drivers have to inform the DMV within a certain period if they move to another address ?

I think the law about reporting change of address exists in most states (I may be wrong) but it's not enforced.  People would freak out if it was seriously enforced.  People would also freak out if you required them to report when their children changed address for the sake of voter registration.  Introducing major additional bureaucracy/cost would make universal registration a losing issue pretty much instantly, I think.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

I mean, for anyone who didn't already fall into the 90-95% with DMV records, that baby would have an 18-year-stale mailing address by the time she was eligible.

But automatic voter registration based on public records in a vote-by-mail state would be pretty awesome.

Of course, but there could be some provision that parents notify the government agency of an address change or face a penalty.

Isn't that the law in CA already, that drivers have to inform the DMV within a certain period if they move to another address ?

I think the law about reporting change of address exists in most states (I may be wrong) but it's not enforced.  People would freak out if it was seriously enforced.  People would also freak out if you required them to report when their children changed address for the sake of voter registration.  Introducing major additional bureaucracy/cost would make universal registration a losing issue pretty much instantly, I think.

How about an encrypted hash key of their DNA for identification?

[Alcon]

So, do you think it would be possible in the US if the government sets up a centralized database in which all hospitals register every newborn baby in the US automatically to vote ?

I mean, for anyone who didn't already fall into the 90-95% with DMV records, that baby would have an 18-year-stale mailing address by the time she was eligible.

But automatic voter registration based on public records in a vote-by-mail state would be pretty awesome.

Of course, but there could be some provision that parents notify the government agency of an address change or face a penalty.

Isn't that the law in CA already, that drivers have to inform the DMV within a certain period if they move to another address ?

I think the law about reporting change of address exists in most states (I may be wrong) but it's not enforced.  People would freak out if it was seriously enforced.  People would also freak out if you required them to report when their children changed address for the sake of voter registration.  Introducing major additional bureaucracy/cost would make universal registration a losing issue pretty much instantly, I think.

How about an encrypted hash key of their DNA for identification?

I'M ON BOARD!

[minionofmidas]

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Um... wot?

Well, I guess the registered individual's "right" is "more powerful" if he essentially casts additional fragments of votes for unregistered people.

[politicallefty]

Provided this would only register those who would have been otherwise able to register on their own, what exactly is a legitimate reason for opposing this? I think it's absurd that anyone otherwise eligible to vote be denied the right to vote solely because they are not registered. Election Day registration does a good job to fix that, but this proposal is quite a bit better. So long as Republicans continue to be the party of voting restrictions, Democrats should pass proposals like these wherever possible.

[greenforest32]

Interesting article on the Oregon proposal and automatic registration in general: http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-oregon-considers-automatic-voter-registration.html

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The legislature didn't act on the automatic registration bill at the initial hearing and there's supposed to be another hearing in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, the state house did pass that aforementioned bill allowing 16-year-olds to register to vote[1] (the voting age remains 18). And only one Republican supported it so you can guess how the vote would fall on automatic registration.

[1] http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2013/HB2988/

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

BRAVO, OREGON!!!

[morgieb]

Wise move. Should happen nation-wide.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Interesting article on the Oregon proposal and automatic registration in general: http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-oregon-considers-automatic-voter-registration.html

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Another reason to dislike that smarmy little troll.