What Some in Congress Want Legislation Likely in next few years

Current Ideas Circulating as Potentials

• Federal requirement for internet voter registration– H.R. 1719

• Federal voter registration and government responsibility for VR;

• Federal requirement for Election Day Registration;

• Federal requirements on how to administer voter information mismatches in VR;

• Uniform definition of how provisional ballots are to be administered;

Current Ideas - Continued

• Federal requirements on ballot design and layout;

• Federal requirements on post election audits;

• Restrictions on challenging eligibility of voters;

• the continued push to eliminate or restrict use of DREs;

• Requirements to make absentee mail balloting available to any voter;

• Require all states to allow no excuse AB or Early Voting

• Uniform standards for purging voters

• Mandatory ID requirements

• Prohibit ID requirements

• Uniform restoration of Rights for Felons

Current Ideas - Continued

Current Ideas - Continued

• Shortening of waiting times for voters

• Paper ballots at all polling locations

• Poll Worker Training Programs

•Equitable allocation of voter resources (equipment, pollworkers, polling places, etc.)

•Statewide Voter Database interoperability with other states

Internet Registration – H.R. 1719

• Would require online execution and submission of voter registration applications

• Needs to be tied to a source for signatures ....eg., DMV

Issues

• States need authority to access signatures from other agencies

Internet Registration – Issues Cont.

• 15 and 7 day “close of books” deadlines must be lengthened

• Effective date of 2014 rather than 2012 or 2016

• Voter e-mail addresses not open to public access

Federal Voter Registration

• The thought is that all voters should have the right to vote in Federal elections regardless of where they live – especially for President/VP and US Senate races. States are “denying” otherwise qualified citizens from participating

VR As Government Responsibility

• Those principally offering this want the Federal government to be responsible for this but many are willing to have states and locals take over the function

• This is one of those EOs should give consideration: • it eliminates most of the abuses of 3rd party

registrations; • allows full control by EOs; cannot eliminate totally

voter initiated – has to be way to all voters to initiate if government misses them.

VR As Government Responsibility

• Considerations:• Cost Factors – New Costs for government• According to recent research 95% of

voters have drivers license• 99% of voters have some form of official

government ID – which means it is likely they are in databases where elections can access the information for automatic registration efforts

VR As Government Responsibility

• If government does the function then registration lists can be determined in advance of elections

• If government does this, EDR may no longer be necessary or makes EDR easier for states employing it.

• If government does this, should reduce numbers of Provisional Ballots

Federal Requirement for EDR

• From an administrative standpoint is government VR preferable to EDR?