Will California Online Voter Registration Attract More Eligible Voters?

By Karla Robinson
September 24, 2012

California has the largest state population and one of the lowest rates of voter registration in the country. More than 25 percent of California’s eligible voters are not registered, according to the California Voter Foundation.
In an effort to change this for the November presidential election, the state has launched online voting registration.
“Under the new system, which saw 3,000 Californians use it in its first 12 hours of existence, an online system matches a state identity card or driver’s license with date of birth and the last four digits of a Social Security number,” explains Ars Technica. “Once a voter’s identity has been confirmed, she or he can click a button to authorize the digital signature that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles already has.”
The online approach takes mailboxes out of the equation and significantly reduces registration time.
“We’re hoping that this new system will encourage more young people to get registered,” says Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation. “This is going to make the process more accessible to more people.’’

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