By large margins voters said “YES” to sweeping reforms in how we register and vote. Amidst high youth voter turnout, ballot measures rode a wave of support to change how we do redistricting, register voters, pay for campaigns, re-engage ex-offenders, cast and count votes. Independent Redistricting Commissions Americans voted overwhelmingly to take away the power read more
Yesterday, Vermont became the 14th state to pass Election Day Registration (the 15th jurisdiction, including the District of Columbia). The new law will take effect January 1, 2017. That means that for the 2016 presidential election (and all local elections before then) voters will need to register by the Wednesday before Election Day. Vermont joins read more
This week, the Vermont House passed a bill that will allow voters to register to vote at a polling place on Election Day. Under the current law, the registration deadline is the Wednesday before the election. The House made a few changes to the original Senate bill text, which the Senate concurred with on Thursday. read more
The 2014 midterm election is over, but we have new data and insights to share! Join Nonprofit VOTE for our upcoming webinar: Voter Turnout in the 2014 Election Thursday, March 19th at 2:00pm Eastern This month, Nonprofit VOTE will release America Goes to the Polls 2014, the fifth installment of our biannual series of reports read more
This summer Illinois instituted a number of election law changes, but just for the November 4, 2014 election. The legislation: Expanded the number of days and extended the hours for early voting; Removed the requirement that people voting early show a photo ID; Allowed students attending Illinois public universities to shift their residences from their read more
A number of structural trends have the potential to increase voting by making it more convenient for voters and expanding their options for when and where they can cast a ballot. In 2014, a number of states passed or implemented legislation that made voting easier. Online Voter Registration 48% of eligible voters now live in read more
This year, voters in a number of states will make decisions on how to conduct elections. Montana adopted Election Day Registration (EDR) in 2005, and in 2011 Governor Brian Schweitzer vetoed a legislature-passed bill that would have eliminated EDR. Last year, the legislature approved a legislatively-referred state statute for this year’s ballot to bring the read more
Hawaii looks to be the latest state to permit Election Day Registration. On April 29, the Hawaii legislature passed HB 2590, which has been transmitted to Governor Abercrombie for his signature. If implemented, Election Day Registration at precincts will not be available until 2018. However, for the 2016 election individuals will be able to register read more
Earlier this month, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that a legislative referendum to end Election Day voter registration can appear on the November 4, 2014 ballot. Called the Montana Late Voter Registration Revision Measure, LR-126, it seeks to eliminate Election Day Registration (EDR), instead closing voter registration on the Friday before Election Day. While the read more
A new poll from The Pew Charitable Trusts indicates that many voters are not well-informed about election policies. Among registered voters living in states with early voting: 11% did not realize that their state offered the option of voting early. 11% were unsure whether early voting was available in their state. Among registered voters read more
As 2013 ends, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what we learned this year. This summer, Nonprofit VOTE released a two-part report, Can Nonprofits Increase Voting Among Their Clients, Constituents, and Staff? An Evaluation of the Track the Vote Program. While Part I of the report showcases the impact of nonprofit voter engagement on read more
This month’s municipal elections in Connecticut marked the first time voters in the state could register on Election Day. In Connecticut, Election Day Registration is not available at polling places. Instead, each town has a designated Election Day Registration location. Secretary of State Denise Merrill estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 people took advantage of Election read more
Yesterday’s webinar, Voter Registration Modernization, is now available. Many thanks to Myrna Pérez from the Brennan Center for Justice for joining us to share her expertise. Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you’ll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio read more
There’s still time to register for Thursday’s webinar–don’t miss out! Voter Registration Modernization Thursday May 16th, 2:00-3:00pm EasternOver the last few years, a number of states have enacted laws and policies to update their voter registration systems–including innovations like online registration, Election Day Registration, and portable registration. This move toward voter registration modernization, supported by both read more
In every state except North Dakota, voters must be registered before they can cast a ballot. Join us for a discussion about ways to update voter registration systems that make it easier for election offices to maintain lists and for voters to keep their information up to date:Voter Registration Modernization Thursday May 16th, 2:00-3:00pm EasternOver read more
There’s still time to register for Thursday’s webinar on the 2012 election: Voter Turnout in the 2012 Election Thursday April 18th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern With elections now certified in all 50 states, Nonprofit VOTE has released America Goes to the Polls 2012, the latest in a series of reports on national turnout and voting trends. In read more
In Wisconsin, one in eight ballots–almost a million votes in all–came from voters who registered on Election Day just before voting in three recent statewide elections–November 2008, November 2010, and the June 2012 gubernatorial recall. The popularity of the law in Wisconsin has remained relatively steady in general elections since 1984, ranging from a rate read more
California is poised to become the newest Election Day Registration (EDR) state. Currently, Californians must be registered two weeks ahead of Election Day, but under a new bill eligible voters would be allowed to register up to and on Election Day. If Governor Brown signs the bill, California will join ten other states and the read more
With Connecticut joining the ranks of Election Day (or Same Day) Registration states, let’s review how expanded registration opportunities make it possible for more people to participate. In 2010 Same Day Registration allowed almost 640,000 Americans to register and vote in the November 2, 2010 election. Moreover, states that allow for Same Day Registration consistently read more
Earlier this year, we tracked legislation in Connecticut that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver’s license) and Election Day Registration. As of last weekend, it appears that Connecticut will get both. The bill, passed by both the House and the Senate, goes to Governor Malloy who plans to sign it, read more
To help you prepare for this year’s election, we’ve updated and expanded our factsheet series! In addition to information on 501(c)(3) permissible activities and working with candidates, we have new factsheets on: Election Day Registration, explaining what it is, which states have it, and how it helps voters keep their registration current. Expanding Voter Registration read more
On Monday, Connecticut Governor Malloy and Secretary of State Merrill held a press conference where they called for preserving and expanding access to voter registration. The governor is proposing legislation that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver’s license), Election Day Registration, and for absentee ballots to be governed by statute—giving read more
In honor of Thanksgiving, we wanted to share just a few of the many things Nonprofit VOTE is grateful for this year. We’re thankful for… Our amazing network of state and national partners and their commitment to expanding nonprofit voter engagement among their affiliates. Election Day Registration because it ensures that everyone who wants to read more
We’ll have a more complete summary of 2011 election results later, but we just couldn’t wait to share Maine’s victory! Yesterday, Maine voters decided to restore Election Day Registration (EDR)–leaving an almost 40 year tradition unbroken. Sixty percent of voters supported EDR, and have made it possible for future voters to register and cast their read more
It’s official. Question 1 will appear on the Maine ballot this November. Earlier this year we reported that a new law had ended almost four decades of Election Day Registration (EDR) in Maine. But EDR supporters mounted a whirlwind campaign, spearheaded by the Protect Maine Votes coalition, to repeal the law and restore Election Day read more
In June, we reported that Maine repealed its long tradition of allowing voters to register and cast their ballot on Election Day. Luckily, the story doesn’t end there: a people’s veto campaign is underway to restore Election Day Registration (EDR) to Maine. The movement is spearheaded by a collation of nonprofits, including the Maine Women’s read more
The state that pioneered Election Day Registration (EDR) has now passed legislation ending the practice. Yesterday Maine Governor Paul LePage signed a bill that ended the state’s long tradition of EDR. Supporters of the bill claim it will reduce fraud, however opponents point out that there has only been one case of fraud linked to read more
