Can You Register To Vote With A Drivers Permit

Automatic voter registration (AVR) is a process in which eligible individuals are automatically registered to vote when interacting with certain regime agencies, such every bit a department of motor vehicles. Information gathered from the regime agency is transmitted to election officials who apply it to either create a new voter record or update an existing registration. This process is triggered by interaction with a participating government agency, simply it is not compulsory. Individuals may opt out of registration at the bureau or later on by returning a mailer, depending on the state.

As of Jan 2022, 22 states and Washington, D.C., are categorized by NCSL as having enacted or implemented automated voter registration.

How AVR Works

In 1993, Congress passed theNational Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA pioneered a new style to annals to vote in America: It required most states to provide citizens with an opportunity to register to vote when applying for or renewing a commuter'south license at a department of motor vehicles (DMV) or other designated land agencies. Because of the requirement for DMVs to participate in voter registration, the NVRA is frequently referred to equally "motor voter."

Some states employ the same automated processes to other land-designated agencies covered nether NVRA. UnderSection 7 of the NVRA, any state office that provides public assistance or operates country-funded programs that serve individuals with disabilities must offer opportunities to register to vote. The law besides requires states to designate additional offices providing voter registration services.

Since the passage of the NVRA, the collection of voter information has shifted from newspaper-based forms to digital records, with many country DMV systems linking electronically to statewide voter registration databases. This allows the DMV to not only collect data on eligible voters only also electronically transfer that information to the voter registration database. Electronic information transfers are more authentic and less resources intensive.

In January 2016, Oregon became the beginning state to implement AVR. In what is sometimes referred to as the "Oregon model," an eligible voter who interacts with the DMV is not asked whether they would like to register to vote, but instead is automatically opted into registering. The voter is soon sent a notification informing them they were registered and that they can opt out by returning the notification.

Other states which accept adopted AVR have chosen different approaches, characterized by the betoken at which a voter may opt out of being registered to vote. The bulk of AVR states use one of two approaches:

Front-end opt out: With this approach, the customer at the DMV may choose to register to vote or decline to register at the indicate of service. The DMV will bear witness an electronic screen request whether they would like to annals to vote. If they decline, the voter is not registered. If they affirm, in states where voters have the choice of affiliating with a political party, the adjacent screen will ask if they would similar to do so.
Back-cease opt out: Customers during their agency transaction provide information needed to register to vote. After the transaction occurs, the customer is notified by the bureau via a post-transaction mailer that they volition be registered to vote, unless they respond to the notification and turn down. If the customer takes no action, they volition be registered to vote. In this approach, registration information is automatically transferred, and customers may choose to decline or chapter later on receiving the mail service-transaction mailer.

Meet the table beneath for details on enactment dates, enabling legislation, participating state agencies and opt out method.

Table ii: States that have enacted automated voter registration*
State	Twelvemonth Enacted	Bill Number	Yr Implemented	Participating Agencies	Type of Opt-Out
Alaska	2016	Mensurate 1	2017	Permanent Fund Dividend	Dorsum-cease (post-transaction mailer)
California	2015	AB 1461	2018	DMV	Front-terminate (point-of-service)
Colorado	due north/a	Done through Section of Motor Vehicles organization	2017	DMV, Department of Health, and other agencies designated past the secretary of state	Back-end (post-transaction mailer)
Connecticut	2016	Agreement betwixt Secretary of Land and Department of Motor Vehicles	2016	DMV	Front-terminate (point-of-service)
Delaware	2021	SB 5	Statutory deadline of 2023	DMV, Section of Health and Social Services, Section of Labor, any state bureau selected by its main administrator to provide voter registration services for its employees and the public	Back-cease (post-transaction mailer)
District of Columbia	2016	B21-0194	2018	DMV	Front-cease (point-of-service)
Georgia	2016	Done through Department of Commuter Services and Attorney General'southward part	2016	DMV	Front-stop (point-of-service)
Hawaii	2021	SB 159	2021	DMV	Front end-end (indicate-of-service)
Illinois	2017	SB 1933	2018	DMV and other agencies designated by the Land Board of Elections	Front-cease (point-of-service)
Maine	2019	HB 1070	Anticipated 2022	DMV and other designated "source agencies"	Front-terminate (signal-of-service)
Maryland	2018	SB 1048	2019	DMV, health benefit substitution, local departments of social services and the Mobility Certification Office	Forepart-stop (betoken-of-service)
Massachusetts	2018	HB 4834	2020	DMV, sectionalisation of medical assistance, health insurance connector authority, other agencies verified by the secretary of state that collect "reliable citizenship information"	Back-end (mail-transaction mailer)
Michigan	2018	Ballot Proposal 3	2019	DMV	Front-terminate (point-of-service)
New Jersey	2018	AB 2014	2018	DMV and other state agencies designated by the secretarial assistant of country	Front-end (point-of-service)
New United mexican states	2019	SB 672	2020	DMV	Forepart-end (point-of-service)
New York	2020	SB 8806	Anticipated 2023	DMV, DOH, DOL and boosted agencies	Forepart-end (indicate-of-service)
Nevada	2018	Ballot Question Number five AB 345 AB 432	2020**	DMV (in 2020) Department of Health and Human Services, agencies designated past the Section of Wellness and Man Services to receive applications for Medicaid, the Silver Land Health Insurance Substitution and whatever other country agency or tribal agency that meets sure requirements and is canonical by the Governor (by 2024)	Front end-end (signal-of-service)
Oregon	2015	HB 2177	2016	DMV	Back-terminate (post-transaction mailer)
Rhode Island	2017	HB 5702	2018	DMV and other state agencies designated by the secretary of country	Front-terminate (point-of-service)
Vermont	2016	HB 458	2017	DMV and other country agencies designated by the secretary of land	Front-end (signal-of-service)
Virginia	2020	HB 235	Anticipated 2020	DMV	Front end-stop (point-of-service)
Washington	2018	HB 2595	2019	DMV, health benefit exchange, other state agencies approved by the secretary of state	Forepart-end (bespeak-of-service)
West Virginia	2016	HB 4013	Implementation deadline 2021	DMV	Front-end (point-of-service)

*In some states, NCSL uses its own approach for categorization. If a legislature enacts a pecker with the words "automatic" or "automatic" in it to depict a paperless organization for registering voters at DMVs or other state agencies, we include them on this folio. Likewise, if, through existing authority and administrative action a state moves toward either of the ii categories, nosotros include them. Concluding, if nosotros hear from a representative of the land's chief election official (frequently the secretary of state) that their system qualifies as automatic or automated, we add together them, too.

**Nevada's AVR system consists of two phases. The first stage established AVR through the DMV and was implemented on January. 1, 2020, after voters approved Ballot Question Number 5 in 2018 and the legislature enacted enabling legislation, AB 345, in 2019. The 2nd phase, created by AB 432 in 2021, expands AVR to state agencies beyond the DMV. The implementation borderline for stage ii is January. 1, 2024.

What Are the Benefits of Automatic Voter Registration?

Proponents of automatic voter registration say the policy will remove barriers to registration for eligible voters, the first step on the way to increasing voter participation. Past registering through a routine and necessary transaction such as those at the DMV, voters won't have to worry about registration deadlines or application submissions.

Automatic registration can assist with voter registration list maintenance because the process updates existing registrations with electric current addresses. Make clean voter rolls class a strong ground for authentic elections, with the added benefit of reducing the employ of costly provisional ballots, which are a fail-safe voting selection when there is a discrepancy in a voter's registration status. Some supporters besides say automated voter registration leads to higher voter turnout, although show supporting this claim is mixed.

What Are the Disadvantages of Automatic Voter Registration?

Opponents of automatic voter registration may say that the government should not tell citizens they must annals to vote, particularly in states that provide the "opt-out" pick past mail, subsequently the fact. Furthermore, they question whether opt-out forms that are sent and received through the postal service are sufficient to ensure an individual can decline to register.

Boosted Resources

Country Election Legislation Database, NCSL
Automated Voter Registration at Motor Vehicle Agencies, Center for Tech and Civic Life
Voter Registration, MIT Election Data and Science Lab
Measuring Motor Voter , The Pew Charitable Trusts