What information must voters provide on a registration form?
What are different methods of registration?
How effective are current registration procedures?
What effect do voter registration deadlines have/what is Election Day Registration (EDR)?
What is the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)?
How can voters check registration status?
What are the rules governing third party registration?

What information must voters provide on a registration form?

In addition to the standard name and current address, the Help America Vote Act requires that all voter registration forms require the applicant to A) affirm their citizenship status B) affirm that they are of legal voting age; and C) provide either a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

What are different methods of registration?

Currently, voters may register in either of the following ways:

• In-person: By filling out and submitting a form in person to the Board of Elections, or through one of the public offices designated under the National Voter Registration Act, such as DMVs, public assistance offices, libraries, etc.
  
  
• By mail: Voters may also register by mail, but, if they are registering for the first time in a jurisdiction, they must include a copy of their driver's license, copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or other government document that shows the voter's name and address. Failure to do so will result in that voter being required to show approved identification at the polls.

As discussed more below, there is some confusion as to whether the additional requirements for mail registration apply if a third party delivers a registration form to the board of elections.

How effective are current registration procedures?

Unfortunately, during each election a number of valid registrations are not processed for different reasons, and voters who have made reasonable efforts to fulfill their obligations in the registration process end up being unable to vote with a regular ballot. These problems include:

• Administrative error/mailing problems: Even though a registration may be submitted properly, errors in data entry, inability to decipher an applicant's handwriting, and other problems may cause a registration to be invalidated. While administrative errors are unavoidable, election officials can reduce their impact by checking entries for typographical errors and ensuring that voters are notified of any registration failures in a timely manner.
  
  
• Registration form issues: Confusion about what should disqualify a registration can also lead to unfair rejection of registration forms. Without clear rules in place, technicalities such as failing to check off certain boxes can lead to a form being disqualified in one area, but not in others. In addition, poorly designed registration forms can confuse voters and lead to mistakes.

Balancing Access and Integrity: Chapter 1
Working Group on State Implementation of Election Reform (The Century Foundation) July 2005

What effect do voter registration deadlines have/what is Election Day Registration (EDR)?

Research has shown that the earlier registration deadlines have an adverse effect on turnout. Currently, Maine, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Wyoming and North Dakota (which does not require any registration) allow voters to register on election day itself, a practice which has been shown to greatly improve voter turnout. In the 2004 election, Demos found that turnout in the EDR states was 13.6 percent higher than turnout in non-EDR states (73.8 percent vs. 60.2 percent). Furthermore, statistics from the 2004 election suggest that EDR may enhance the increased voter mobilization that occurs in heavily contested states.

Sources/More Information:

Voter Registration Deadlines
(Project Vote)

Voter Registration and Turnout in the United States
Benjamin Highton (Social Science Research Council) September 2004

High 2004 Turnout for States with Election Day Registration
(Demos)

Expanding the Vote: The Practice and Promise of Election Day Registration
(Demos) January 2002

What is the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)?

Passed in 1993, NVRA (also known as 'Motor Voter') aims to greatly expand opportunities for voter registration. Under the law, citizens can register to vote by mail using mail-in-forms developed by each state and the Election Assistance Commission. In addition, NVRA requires that applications for a driver's license include a voter registration form, and that motor vehicle agencies take the appropriate steps to complete the registration process. The law requires that any state office providing public assistance or services primarily to the disabled ask individuals if they would like to register, and assist them with the process.

Other major provisions require that states: designate other public offices as "voter registration agencies", such as libraries and public schools; implement uniform procedures for registration; and follow specific standards for removing voters from registration lists. Unfortunately, while some gains have been made in registered voters since the laws passage, compliance remains low.

Sources/More Information:

About the National Voter Registration Act
(Department of Justice)

Demos' NVRA Implementation Project

Full Text of National Voting Registration Act

Summary of National Voting Registration Act

The Impact of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 on the Administration of Elections for Federal Office: 2003-2004
(Election Assistance Commission) June 2005

How can voters check registration status?

Providing ample opportunities for voters to check their registration status is an important way to protect against errors that may result in lost or improperly entered registrations. Ideally, all states would provide voters with opportunities to check their registration status in person, by telephone, or online.

What are the rules governing third party registration?

Registration drives conducted by third parties became a serious issue in the 2004 election. While the mobilization efforts of these groups no doubt contributed to impressive turnout numbers, reports of fraudulent registration forms and ballot destruction as well as registrations that never made it back to the board of elections revealed some of the problems with third party registration drives.

• Mail-in identification requirements: While HAVA requires that voters who register by mail for the first time provide a copy of specified identification to avoid being asked for ID at the polling place, it has been unclear whether registrations delivered to the board of elections by a third party group are considered "mail-in" or "in-person". If a state decides to consider these third-party delivered registrations as "mail-in", then registration groups have a special responsibility to make sure the voters they are registering understand the ID requirement.
  
  
• Protecting voters against negligent third-party registration: A voter who submits a registration form through a third party but finds they are not on the rolls on election day has little recourse to get their ballot counted, even if the third party was at fault. One solution could be a receipt attached to each registration form which voters could retain as proof of their registration.
  
  
• Keeping track of third party registration forms: Most election boards have no way of keeping track of the thousands of forms they distribute to third party groups each year, and thus no way to gauge how many registration attempts may be missing or which groups have been diligent about returning their forms.

Sources/More Information:

Guide to Registration Verification and Completion
(Voter Advancement Project)