As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Voter Registration Act this month, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen plans to offer voter registration opportunities to people who buy insurance through the new health exchange.
Bowen made “California the first state to designate its health exchange as a voter registration agency Wednesday, but others are expected to follow suit,” reported the Sacramento Bee last week.
“This is about making sure that all eligible Californians are offered the chance to register to vote,” said Bowen’s spokesperson, Shannon Velayas.
The NVRA or “Motor Voter” law was enacted in 1993 to increase the number of registered voters in federal elections. One provision of the law, Section 7, requires public agencies—including DMVs, public assistance, and disability offices—to provide their clients the opportunity to register to vote. Since the NVRA’s implementation, about 141 million people registered to vote at these agencies. The newest agency, Covered California, is expected to reach millions of low- and moderate-income families who are seeking to buy health insurance policies.
We applaud Secretary Bowen for showing great leadership and taking initiative to designate California’s health insurance exchange as a voter registration agency. Going forward, we hope Covered California will follow the law and offer citizens a meaningful opportunity to register to vote.
Photo by Randy Bayne via Creative Commons license