Public Assistance Agencies

Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act

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The plaintiffs and attorneys in Project Vote and the NAACP’s public assistance agency lawsuit in Louisiana.

Though most people know the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) as the “motor voter” law, fewer people know that it also mandates that voter registration be offered at other government agencies besides DMVs. State agencies offering SNAP (food stamps), TANF, Medicaid, and other government benefits are also legally required to assist their clients in registering to vote under the NVRA.

Congress included this provision, Section 7, exactly to reach the citizens who are less likely to register through other means: low-income people, minorities, the elderly, and the disabled.

However, too many states have been ignoring this part of the NVRA, meaning that millions of our most vulnerable citizens are missing out on the change to make their voices heard. That’s why Project Vote and our partners are working to fix that. We investigate compliance. We document violations of the NVRA. And, where we find problems, we work—through advocacy, assistance, and litigation—to ensure that states are following the law and doing right by their citizens.

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NM settles lawsuit over voter registration law

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New Mexico has settled a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups last year over compliance with a law that lets people register to vote at various state agencies, including the Motor Vehicle Division when they get a driver's license. Read more

Groups press FSSA to let clients register to vote

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When low-income Hoosiers turn to state social-services offices for help, they're supposed to get something more than financial assistance. They're also supposed to be able to register to vote. Read more

Sign-up of voters lacking, group says: Federal law requires aid agencies to help their clients register

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Colorado human service agencies have been violating federal law because they are failing to help register people to vote, according to a national report released Monday Read more