Voter Registration Policy

IMG_0588aIn 49 out of 50 states, participating in the American democratic process requires an important first step: registering to vote.

Throughout American history, however, voter registration has frequently been used as a bureaucratic hurdle placed between eligible Americans and the ballot box.

That’s why Project Vote works across the country to ensure simple, fair, equitable voter registration policies that make it easier, not harder, for eligible citizens to register to vote.

From fighting laws that place unfair restrictions on community-based voter registration drives, to advocating for innovations like Automatic Voter Registration, Online Registration, Same-Day Registration, and Permanent-Portable Registration, Project Vote wants to make sure that every eligible American can register to vote.

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Project Vote v. Long (Virginia)

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After receiving reports from their local community partners regarding large numbers of rejected voter registration applications—particularly from students at the... Read more

Groups file suit over denial of access to voter-registration records

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On Tuesday, leading voter protection groups Advancement Project and Project Vote filed a lawsuit in Virginia over access to certain voter registration records. Read more

Tennessee Bill Would Require Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote

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A Tennessee bill requiring voter applicants to prove their citizenship status was scheduled to be heard today in the House... Read more

Project Vote and League of Women Voters Announce High School Registration Project

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The League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) and Project Vote are pleased to announce a major new initiative to... Read more

Model Testimony: Paperless Voter Registration

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This document provides a template for lawmakers and other interested parties to draft bills in support of paperless voter registration. Read more

Policy Paper: No Match, No Vote

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Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, including provisions to streamline and modernize voter registration databases and establish identification requirements. However, some states have misinterpreted the law and passed onerous “No Match, No Vote” laws. Read more

Model Bill: Preregistration

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This document provides a template for lawmakers and other interested parties to draft bills in support of preregistration legislation. Read more

Efforts to Engage Youth Voters through Preregistration Underway

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Last week, the Arizona Legislature introduced a Preregistration bill in the House, bringing it one step closer to allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote. If passed, Arizona would join Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, and soon, Rhode Island in their efforts to engage youth before they may legally vote. Read more

Dangerous Election Bills Introduced in Virginia

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The Virginia General Assembly is busily grinding out bills that will make it considerably more difficult for Virginians to cast ballots that count. In recent years, voter ID laws have cropped up in states across the country, aimed to stymie a source of fraud that simply does not exist, and Virginia is no different. Under current law, if a voter does not or cannot produce appropriate identification at the polls, the voter can simply sign a sworn document attesting his or her identity, then cast a regular ballot. Proposed legislation in both the House of Delegates and the Senate aims to take this option away from Virginia voters and place still more stringent restrictions on the kinds of ID that are accepted. Read more

Online Voter Registration: A New and Inexpensive Way to Register Voters?

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Voter registration is becoming easier and more accessible for voting eligible citizens in several states through the growing trend of online voter registration. This new election reform has the potential to be a cost-effective method of enfranchising more Americans, especially as applied to the electronic transmission of applications through voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act. Read more