Washington, D.C. — Every American should have access to online and same-day voter registration, especially during the coronavirus public health crisis, according to a new column from the Center for American Progress.
With COVID-19 still raging across much of the nation, many states are scrambling to update their voting procedures so that their citizens can have a range of safe, accessible options to vote, including vote-by-mail and in-person voting. Yet, states also must ensure that people can conveniently register to vote during the pandemic, the column says.
Every state should deploy robust programs allowing people to register to vote online or on the same day they cast their ballot. These popular methods of registration would help reduce voters’ unnecessary exposure to the virus and help boost voter turnout.
“In order for the presidential election to be conducted fairly, every state should give its citizens online registration and same-day registration options,” said Michael Sozan, a CAP senior fellow and author of the column. “And conservatives in the Senate must stop blocking federal resources to fully fund these and other state election programs. During the COVID-19 health crisis, every American should have the widest range of tools available so that they don’t have to choose between their health and voting.”
Read the column: “States Must Boost Voter Registration During the COVID-19 Pandemic” by Michael Sozan
For more information, or to talk to an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected], or 202-478-6327.