Automatic voter registration: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:16, 19 December 2025

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Under an automatic voter registration system, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with certain government agencies, such as departments of motor vehicles. Eligible voters are registered by default, although they may request not to be registered.^[1]^[2]

HIGHLIGHTS

As of November 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies.

In 2015, California and Oregon became the first states to enact automatic voter registration policies.

In 2016, Alaska became the first state to enact an automatic voter registration policy via ballot measure.

The most recent states to enact automatic voter registration policies were Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania in 2023.^[3]^[4]^[5]

At the time of adopting automatic voter registration, governors in 18 of the 24 states with these policies were Democrats, five were Republicans, and one was independent. In the 2020 presidential election, 21 of the 24 states with these policies voted for the Democratic nominee, two voted for the Republican nominee, and Maine split its electoral college vote. In the 2024 presidential election, 17 of the 24 states with these policies voted for the Democratic nominee, six voted for the Republican nominee, and Maine split its electoral college vote.

Automatic voter registration by state

As of November 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies. See the map below.^[1]

Automatic voter registration, 2025
State	Year enacted	Year implemented	Enacting governor	Authorizing legislation
Alaska^[6]	2016	2017	Gov. Bill Walker (I)	Alaska Voter Registration via the Permanent Fund Dividend Application, Ballot Measure 1 (2016)
California^[7]	2015	2018	Gov. Jerry Brown (D)	AB 1461
Colorado^[8]	--	2017	Gov. John Hickenlooper (D)	Administrative action^[9]
Connecticut^[10]	--	2016	Gov. Dannel Malloy (D)	Administrative action^[11]
Delaware^[12]	2021	2023	Gov. John Carney (D)	SB 5
District of Columbia^[13]	2016	2018	Mayor Muriel Bowser (D)	B21-0194
Georgia^[14]	--	2016	Gov. Nathan Deal (R)	Administrative action^[1]
Hawaii^[15]	2021	2021	Gov. David Ige (D)	SB 159
Illinois^[16]	2017	2018	Gov. Bruce Rauner (R)	SB 1933
Maine^[17]	2019	2022	Gov. Janet Mills (D)	HB 1070
Maryland^[18]	2018	2019	Gov. Larry Hogan (R)	SB 1048
Massachusetts^[19]	2018	2020	Gov. Charlie Baker (R)	HB 4834
Michigan^[20]	2018	2019	Gov. Rick Snyder (R)	Proposal 3
Minnesota^[21]	2023	2023	Gov. Tim Walz (D)	HF 3
New Jersey^[22]	2018	2018	Gov. Phil Murphy (D)	A 2014
New Mexico^[23]	2019	2020	Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)	SB 672
New York^[24]	2020	2023	Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)	S.8806
Nevada^[25]	2018	2020	Gov. Brian Sandoval (R)	Question 5
Oregon^[26]	2015	2016	Gov. Kate Brown (D)	HB 2177
Pennsylvania^[5]	--	2023	Gov. Josh Shapiro (D)	Executive action^[27]
Rhode Island^[28]	2017	2018	Gov. Gina Raimondo (D)	H 5702
Vermont^[29]	2016	2017	Gov. Peter Shumlin (D)	H 458
Virginia^[30]	2020	2020	Gov. Ralph Northam (D)	SB 219
Washington^[31]	2018	2019	Gov. Jay Inslee (D)	HB 2595
West Virginia^[32]	2016	2021	Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D)	HB 4013

Support and opposition

Support

In a 2022 report, the Institute for Responsive Government, which described its mission as "to help policy makers find solutions that make government more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of real human beings," argued that automatic voter registration improves the efficiency of election administration and helps to ensure accurate voter rolls:^[33]^[34]

“

AVR ensures voter rolls are up to date: Roughly 10% of Americans move each year. With AVR, whenever an eligible individual provides new information to the DMV, their voter registration is seamlessly updated, unless the person declines, reducing obsolete registration entries and deadwood on the voter file.
AVR ensures voter rolls are accurate: AVR improves accuracy by relying on an electronic transfer of information. AVR reduces the need for error-prone handwritten paper registration forms that must be manually entered by clerks.
AVR reduces election day issues: A person who is registered or updated through AVR does not need to register or update at the polls via same-day registration or cast a provisional ballot, reducing the potential for delays, additional paperwork, and voter confusion on election day.
AVR saves money: Processing each paper registration form costs roughly $4.72 in labor, and election mailings to outdated or incorrect addresses are an unnecessary expense. AVR undercuts both of these cost drivers, and can save state and local election officials hundreds of thousands of dollars each election.

^[35]

”

Liz Kennedy, Lew Daly, and Brenda Wright, in a 2016 report published by Demos, argued that automatic voter registration promotes civic participation, reducing barriers that might otherwise impede citizens from exercising their constitutional rights to political participation: ^[36]

“	Our current voter registration system, which is designed as a voter-initiated or 'self-registration' system, creates barriers to registration that do not serve any significant purpose in a democracy. Demos believes that full participation in elections significantly depends on achieving universal voter registration through an automatic registration system. Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) builds on the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and other voter registration reforms to improve the overall effectiveness of the voter registration system. Automatic Voter Registration uses information already on file with a variety of government agencies to identify persons who are eligible to vote and add them to the voter rolls, or update their voter information, in a paperless process. With comprehensive and inclusive AVR, states have the opportunity to take a major leap forward in voting rights by building the modern, equitable registration system that we need and deserve.^[35]	”
—Liz Kennedy, Lew Daly, and Brenda Wright

The Brennan Center for Justice, in a 2017 report, argued that automatic voter registration can reduce errors and inefficiencies in the electoral process:^[2]

“	AVR makes two simple transformative, yet transformative, changes to voter registration. First, AVR makes voter registration "opt-out" instead of "opt-in"—eligible citizens who interact with government agencies are registered to vote or have their existing registration information updated, unless they affirmatively decline. Again, the voter can opt-out; it is not compulsory registration. Second, those agencies transfer voter registration information electronically to election officials instead of using paper forms. These common-sense reforms increase registration rates, clean up the voter rolls, and save states money.^[35]	”
—Brennan Center for Justice

Opposition

In a 2024 article, GoodParty.org, an organization that described its missions as "provid[ing] the structure, grassroots support, and tools to make it possible to run a winning campaign without the baggage and habits of the two major parties," said that drawbacks of automatic voter registration included:^[37]^[38]

“

Potential Resistance: AVR may meet legal and political resistance as it seeks to change the current laws and standards of voter registration in some states. Some opponents may argue that AVR will benefit one political party over another.
Privacy Concerns: Automatic voter registration may raise concerns about voter registration data security and privacy by exposing voter information to malicious or unauthorized use.
Startup Costs: While AVR can save election officials money over time, switching from manual to automatic voter registration requires investing in certain startup costs.
Need for Collaboration: Automatic voter registration may necessitate coordination and collaboration between several government agencies and stakeholders in order to implement potentially complex adjustments to the current election procedures.

^[35]

”

Hans von Spakovsky, in a 2013 report published by the Heritage Foundation, argued that automatic voter registration poses a threat to the integrity of elections by increasing the likelihood of ineligible voter participation. He also argued that automatic registration infringes upon citizens' constitutional rights:^[39]

“	Mandatory voter registration (MVR), previously termed 'universal' registration, could significantly damage the integrity of America’s voter registration system. The 'voter registration modernization' concept of automatically registering individuals through information contained in various existing government databases would throw the current system into chaos. Specifically, voter registration modernization could result in the registration of large numbers of ineligible voters as well as multiple or duplicate registrations of the same individuals. When combined with the accompanying proposal that states allow any individuals who are not automatically registered to register and vote on Election Day, MVR presents a sure formula for registration and voter fraud that could damage the integrity of elections. Automatically registering individuals to vote without their permission would also violate their basic right to choose whether they wish to participate in the U.S. political process. Indeed, this new scheme threatens one of American’s most cherished liberties: the freedom to be left alone by the government.^[35]	”
—Hans von Spakovsky

Amber Phillips, writing in 2016 for The Washington Post, argued that automatic voter registration policies can reinforce a political party's existing advantage within a state:^[40]

“	Automatic voter registration mostly benefits Democrats. Or, at least, it benefits the party in control of the state that's implementing the program. When California debated its automatic voter registration this fall, The Fix's Philip Bump made the case that boosting voter registration in a Democratic-leaning state will simply boost the number of Democratic voters more than Republicans. Preliminary numbers suggest that's been the case in Oregon. Of 437 automatically registered voters who took the next step and actually filled out a card to choose a party affiliation, about 49 percent chose the Democratic Party, 30 percent chose Republican and 5 percent chose independent. Oregon's secretary of state notes that just about mirrors the state's partisan voter breakdown now.^[35]	”
—Amber Phillips

Automatic voter registration legislation

The table below lists bills related to automatic voter registration introduced during (or carried over to) each state's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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Footnotes

[ncsl-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[brennancenter-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Brennan Center for Justice, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[deeavr-3] State of Delaware, "Automatic Voter Registration at DMV," June 20, 2023

[hf3-4] Minnesota State Legislature, "House File 3," accessed June 6, 2023

[paavr-5] 5.0 ^5.1 NBC, "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023

[6] State of Alaska: Department of Revenue, Permanent Fund Dividend, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[7] California Legislative Information, "AB 1461," accessed March 25, 2017

[8] Colorado Secretary of State, "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed November 24, 2025

[9] The Pew Charitable Trusts, "Colorado Upgrades Motor Voter System," March 2018

[10] Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, "Automatic Voter Registration in Connecticut,"December 21, 2017

[11] CT.gov, "Connecticut Secretary of the State and the Department of Motor Vehicles Sign First-of-its-Kind Automatic Voter Registration Pact," May 17, 2016

[12] Delaware Department of Elections, "Automatic Voter Registration FAQs," accessed November 24, 2025

[13] Council of the District of Columbia, "B21-0194 - Automatic Voter Registration Amendment Act of 2015," accessed March 25, 2017

[14] Georgia Department of Driver Services, " Georgia Department of Driver Services Drivers' Manual, 2023–2024," accessed November 24, 2025

[15] State of Hawaii Office of Elections, "Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[16] Illinois State Board of Elections, "Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)," accessed November 24, 2025

[17] Department of the Secretary of State, State of Maine, "Automatic voter registration to be unveiled at BMV locations," archived August 17, 2022

[18] Maryland Department of Transportation, "Voter Registration Information," accessed November 24, 2025

[19] Mass.gov, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[20] Michigan Department of State, "Voter registration in Michigan," accessed November 24, 2025

[21] Michigan Department of State, "Register to vote," accessed November 24, 2025

[22] Office of the Governor of New Jersey, "Governor Murphy Signs Landmark Legislation Expanding Voter Registration and Protecting Voting Rights," April 17, 2018

[23] Office of the Governor, "Gov. Lujan Grisham signs New Mexico Voting Rights Act into law," March 30, 2023

[24] New York State Department of Elections, "Register to Vote," accessed November 24, 2025

[25] Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, "Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[26] Oregon Secretary of State, "Oregon Motor Voter Act FAQ," accessed November 24, 2025

[27] Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," archived May 31, 2024

[28] Rhode Island Department of State, "Register to Vote," accessed November 24, 2025

[29] Vermont General Assembly, "H. 458," accessed March 25, 2017

[30] Virginia Department of Elections, "How to Register," accessed November 24, 2025

[31] Washington State Legislature, "HB 2595 - 2017-18," accessed May 17, 2017

[32] West Virginia Legislature, "House Bill 4013," accessed March 25, 2017

[33] Institute for Responsive Government, "Who We Are," accessed November 24, 2025

[34] Institute for Responsive Government, "New Hampshire Common-Sense Election Improvement Policies Series," archived July 14, 2024

[quotedisclaimer-35] 35.0 ^35.1 ^35.2 ^35.3 ^35.4 ^35.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[36] Demos, "Automatic Voter Registration; Finding America's Missing Voters," January 20, 2016

[37] GoodParty.org, "Our Mission," accessed July 15, 2024

[38] GoodParty.org, "Pros and Cons of Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025

[heritage-39] The Heritage Foundation, "Mandatory Voter Registration: How Universal Registration Threatens Electoral Integrity," March 27, 2013

[wapost-40] The Washington Post, "How to argue about automatic voter registration, as Oregon gets the ball rolling," February 13, 2016

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Votingnavshort}}<section begin=automatic/>'''Under an automatic voter registration system, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with government agencies (e.g., departments of motor vehicles).''' Eligible voters are registered by default, although they may request not to be registered.<ref name=ncsl>[http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration.aspx ''National Conference of State Legislatures'', "Automatic Voter Registration," August 31, 2017]</ref><ref name=brennancenter>[https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration ''Brennan Center for Justice'', "Automatic Voter Registration," February 10, 2018]</ref>
+[[File:Election Policy Banner 2024.png|link=Election Policy]]{{Votingnavshort}}<section begin=automatic/><section begin=autointro/>Under an '''automatic voter registration system''', eligible voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with certain government agencies, such as departments of motor vehicles. Eligible voters are registered by default, although they may request not to be registered.<ref name=ncsl>[https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration ''National Conference of State Legislatures'', "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref><ref name=brennancenter>[https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration ''Brennan Center for Justice'', "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref><section end=autointro/>
-{{TLDRbox|As of September 2023, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies.
+{{TLDRbox|<section begin=autonumber/>As of November 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies.<section end=autonumber/>
 |In 2015, California and Oregon became the first states to enact automatic voter registration policies.
 |In 2016, Alaska became the first state to enact an automatic voter registration policy via [[Alaska Voter Registration via the Permanent Fund Dividend Application, Ballot Measure 1 (2016)|ballot measure]].
-|In 2023, Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania became the latest states to enact automatic voter registration policies.<ref name=deeavr>[https://news.delaware.gov/2023/06/20/automatic-voter-registration-at-dmv/ ''State of Delaware'', "Automatic Voter Registration at DMV," June 20, 2023]</ref><ref name=hf3>[https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/Session+Law/Chapter/34/ ''Minnesota State Legislature'', "House File 3," accessed June 6, 2023]</ref><ref name=paavr>[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/pennsylvania-automatic-voter-registration-josh-shapiro-rcna105584 ''NBC'', "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023]</ref>}}<section end=automatic/>
+|The most recent states to enact automatic voter registration policies were Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania in 2023.<ref name=deeavr>[https://news.delaware.gov/2023/06/20/automatic-voter-registration-at-dmv/ ''State of Delaware'', "Automatic Voter Registration at DMV," June 20, 2023]</ref><ref name=hf3>[https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/Session+Law/Chapter/34/ ''Minnesota State Legislature'', "House File 3," accessed June 6, 2023]</ref><ref name=paavr>[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/pennsylvania-automatic-voter-registration-josh-shapiro-rcna105584 ''NBC'', "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023]</ref>}}<section end=automatic/>
+<br>
+At the time of adopting automatic voter registration, governors in 18 of the 24 states with these policies were Democrats, five were Republicans, and one was independent. In the [[Presidential election, 2020|2020 presidential election]], 21 of the 24 states with these policies voted for the Democratic nominee, two voted for the Republican nominee, and Maine split its electoral college vote. In the [[Presidential election, 2024|2024 presidential election]], 17 of the 24 states with these policies voted for the Democratic nominee, six voted for the Republican nominee, and Maine split its electoral college vote.
+==Automatic voter registration by state==
+<section begin=AVRStates/><section begin=autonumbers/>As of November 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies. See the map below.<ref name=ncsl/><section end=autonumbers/>
-==Automatic voter registration by state==
+<section begin=map/><center><html><iframe title="Automatic voter registration" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-PDIC3" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PDIC3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 85% !important; border: none;" height="461" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
-<section begin=AVRStates/>As of September 2023, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies. See the map below.<ref name=ncsl>[http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration.aspx ''National Conference of State Legislatures'', "Automatic Voter Registration," February 7, 2023]</ref><ref name=hf3/>
+</script></html></center><section end=map/>
-<html><iframe title="Automatic voter registration" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-PDIC3" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PDIC3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="461" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
+<datatable caption="Automatic voter registration, 2025">
-</script></html>
+ ! State !! Year enacted !! Year implemented !! Enacting governor !! Authorizing legislation
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:auto; margin:auto;"
+| [[Voting in Alaska|Alaska]]<ref>[https://pfd.alaska.gov/Automatic-Voter-Registration ''State of Alaska: Department of Revenue, Permanent Fund Dividend'', "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2016 || 2017 || Gov. [[Bill Walker]] (I) || [[Alaska Voter Registration via the Permanent Fund Dividend Application, Ballot Measure 1 (2016)]]
-! colspan="5" align="center" style="background-color:#bd1d27; color: white;" | Automatic voter registration, 2023
-|-
-! style="background-color:#F0F0F0; color: black;" | State
-! style="background-color:#F0F0F0; color: black;" | Year enacted
-! style="background-color:#F0F0F0; color: black;" | Year implemented
-! style="background-color:#F0F0F0; color: black;" | Enacting governor
-! style="background-color:#F0F0F0; color: black;" | Authorizing legislation
-|-
-| [[Voting in Alaska|Alaska]] || 2016 || 2017 || Gov. [[Bill Walker]] (I) || [[Alaska Voter Registration via the Permanent Fund Dividend Application, Ballot Measure 1 (2016)]]
 |-
 | [[Voting in California|California]]<ref>[https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB1461 ''California Legislative Information'', "AB 1461," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2015 || 2018 || Gov. [[Jerry Brown]] (D) || [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB1461 AB 1461]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Colorado|Colorado]] || 2017 || 2017 || Gov. [[John Hickenlooper]] (D) || Enacted through administrative rules
+| [[Voting in Colorado|Colorado]]<ref>[https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/FAQs/VoterRegistrationFAQ.html ''Colorado Secretary of State'', "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || -- || 2017 || Gov. [[John Hickenlooper]] (D) || Administrative action<ref>[https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2018/03/colorado_motor_voter.pdf ''The Pew Charitable Trusts'', "Colorado Upgrades Motor Voter System," March 2018]</ref>
 |-
-| [[Voting in Connecticut|Connecticut]] || 2016 || 2016<ref>[https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/rpt/pdf/2017-R-0358.pdf ''Connecticut Office of Legislative Research'', "Automatic Voter Registration in Connecticut," December 21, 2017]</ref> || Gov. [[Dannel Malloy]] (D) || Enacted through administrative rules
+| [[Voting in Connecticut|Connecticut]]<ref>[https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/rpt/pdf/2017-R-0358.pdf ''Connecticut Office of Legislative Research'', "Automatic Voter Registration in Connecticut,"December 21, 2017]</ref> || -- || 2016 || Gov. [[Dannel Malloy]] (D) || Administrative action<ref>[https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/sotsdmvrelease51716pdf.pdf ''CT.gov'', "Connecticut Secretary of the State and the Department of Motor Vehicles Sign First-of-its-Kind Automatic Voter Registration Pact," May 17, 2016]</ref>
 |-
-| [[Voting in Delaware|Delaware]] || 2021 || 2023 || Gov. [[John Carney]] (D) || [https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=48446 SB 5]
+| [[Voting in Delaware|Delaware]]<ref>[https://elections.delaware.gov/voter/pdfs/AVR_FAQs.pdf ''Delaware Department of Elections'', "Automatic Voter Registration FAQs," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2021 || 2023 || Gov. [[John Carney]] (D) || [https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=48446 SB 5]
 |-
-| District of Columbia<ref>[http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B21-0194?FromSearchResults=true ''Council of the District of Columbia'', "B21-0194 - Automatic Voter Registration Amendment Act of 2015," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2016 || 2018 || Mayor [[Muriel Bowser]] (D) || [http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B21-0194?FromSearchResults=true B21-0194]
+| [[Voting in Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]<ref>[https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B21-0194 ''Council of the District of Columbia'', "B21-0194 - Automatic Voter Registration Amendment Act of 2015," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2016 || 2018 || Mayor [[Muriel Bowser]] (D) || [https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B21-0194 B21-0194]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Georgia|Georgia]] || 2016 || 2016 || Gov. [[Nathan Deal]] (R) || Enacted through administrative rules
+| [[Voting in Georgia|Georgia]]<ref>[https://dds.georgia.gov/georgia-department-driver-services-drivers-manual-2023-2024#:~:text=There%20is%20a%20voter%20registration%20section%20on%20each%20DDS%20license/ID%20issuance%20application%2C%20as%20required%20by%20law.%20In%20that%20section%2C%20customers%20are%20notified%20that%20their%20information%20will%20be%20used%20for%20voter%20registration%20purposes%20unless%20they%20choose%20otherwise. '' Georgia Department of Driver Services'', " Georgia Department of Driver Services Drivers' Manual, 2023–2024," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || -- || 2016 || Gov. [[Nathan Deal]] (R) || Administrative action<ref name=ncsl/>
 |-
-| [[Voting in Hawaii|Hawaii]] || 2021 || 2021 || Gov. [[David Ige]] (D) || [https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2021/bills/SB159_.HTM SB 159]
+| [[Voting in Hawaii|Hawaii]]<ref>[https://elections.hawaii.gov/register-to-vote/registration/ ''State of Hawaii Office of Elections'', "Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2021 || 2021 || Gov. [[David Ige]] (D) || [https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2021/bills/SB159_.HTM SB 159]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Illinois|Illinois]] || 2017 || 2018 || Gov. [[Bruce Rauner]] (R) || [http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1933&GAID=14&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=91&GA=100 SB 1933]
+| [[Voting in Illinois|Illinois]]<ref>[https://www.elections.il.gov/votingandregistrationsystems/automaticvoterregistrationinfo.aspx?MID=uW8H%2BjUMn4Q%3D ''Illinois State Board of Elections'', "Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2017 || 2018 || Gov. [[Bruce Rauner]] (R) || [https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=1933&GAID=14&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=91&GA=100 SB 1933]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Maine|Maine]] || 2019 || 2022 || Gov. [[Janet Mills]] (D) || [https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1070&item=3&snum=129 HB 1070]
+| [[Voting in Maine|Maine]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220817000911/https://www.maine.gov/sos/news/2022/AutomaticvoterregistrationtobeunveiledatBMVlocations.html ''Department of the Secretary of State, State of Maine'', "Automatic voter registration to be unveiled at BMV locations," archived August 17, 2022]</ref>  || 2019 || 2022 || Gov. [[Janet Mills]] (D) || [https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1070&item=3&snum=129 HB 1070]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Maryland|Maryland]] || 2018 || 2019 || Gov. [[Larry Hogan]] (R) || [http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb1048&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2018RS SB 1048]
+| [[Voting in Maryland|Maryland]]<ref>[https://mva.maryland.gov/Documents/FO-302.pdf ''Maryland Department of Transportation'', "Voter Registration Information," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2018 || 2019 || Gov. [[Larry Hogan]] (R) || [http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb1048&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2018RS SB 1048]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] || 2018 || 2020 || Gov. [[Charlie Baker]] (R) || [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H4834 HB 4834]
+| [[Voting in Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]<ref>[https://www.mass.gov/info-details/automatic-voter-registration ''Mass.gov'', "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2018 || 2020 || Gov. [[Charlie Baker]] (R) || [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H4834 HB 4834]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Michigan|Michigan]] || 2018 || 2019 || Gov. [[Rick Snyder]] (R) || [[Michigan Proposal 3, Voting Policies in State Constitution Initiative (2018)|Proposal 3]]
+| [[Voting in Michigan|Michigan]]<ref>[https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/register-to-vote ''Michigan Department of State'', "Voter registration in Michigan," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2018 || 2019 || Gov. [[Rick Snyder]] (R) || [[Michigan Proposal 3, Voting Policies in State Constitution Initiative (2018)|Proposal 3]]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Minnesota|Minnesota]] || 2023 || 2023 || Gov. [[Tim Walz]] (D) || [https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/Session+Law/Chapter/34/ HF 3]
+| [[Voting in Minnesota|Minnesota]]<ref>[https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-the-office/news-room/secretary-simon-certifies-automatic-voter-registration-system/ ''Michigan Department of State'', "Register to vote," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2023 || 2023 || Gov. [[Tim Walz]] (D) || [https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/Session+Law/Chapter/34/ HF 3]
 |-
-| [[Voting in New Jersey|New Jersey]] || 2018 || 2018 || Gov. [[Phil Murphy]] (D) || [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A2500/2014_U1.PDF A 2014]
+| [[Voting in New Jersey|New Jersey]]<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562018/approved/20180417a_voter_registration.shtml ''Office of the Governor of New Jersey'', "Governor Murphy Signs Landmark Legislation Expanding Voter Registration and Protecting Voting Rights," April 17, 2018]</ref> || 2018 || 2018 || Gov. [[Phil Murphy]] (D) || [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A2500/2014_U1.PDF A 2014]
 |-
-| [[Voting in New Mexico|New Mexico]] || 2019 || 2020 || Gov. [[Michelle Lujan Grisham]] (D) || [https://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19%20Regular/final/SB0672.pdf SB 672]
+| [[Voting in New Mexico|New Mexico]]<ref>[https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2023/03/30/gov-lujan-grisham-signs-new-mexico-voting-rights-act-into-law/ ''Office of the Governor'', "Gov. Lujan Grisham signs New Mexico Voting Rights Act into law," March 30, 2023]</ref> || 2019 || 2020 || Gov. [[Michelle Lujan Grisham]] (D) || [https://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19%20Regular/final/SB0672.pdf SB 672]
 |-
-| [[Voting in New York|New York]] || 2020 || 2023 || Gov. [[Andrew Cuomo]] (D) || [https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2019/S8806 S.8806]
+| [[Voting in New York|New York]]<ref>[https://elections.ny.gov/register-vote ''New York State Department of Elections'', "Register to Vote," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2020 || 2023 || Gov. [[Andrew Cuomo]] (D) || [https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2019/S8806 S.8806]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Nevada|Nevada]] || 2018 || 2020 || Gov. [[Brian Sandoval]] (R) || [[Nevada Question 5, Automatic Voter Registration via DMV Initiative (2018)|Question 5]]
+| [[Voting in Nevada|Nevada]]<ref>[https://dmv.nv.gov/dlvote.htm ''Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles'', "Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2018 || 2020 || Gov. [[Brian Sandoval]] (R) || [[Nevada Question 5, Automatic Voter Registration via DMV Initiative (2018)|Question 5]]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Oregon|Oregon]]<ref>[https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2177/Enrolled ''Oregon Legislative Assembly'', "House Bill 2177," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2015 || 2016 || Gov. [[Kate Brown]] (D) || [https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2177/Enrolled HB 2177]
+| [[Voting in Oregon|Oregon]]<ref>[https://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/motor-voter-faq.aspx ''Oregon Secretary of State'', "Oregon Motor Voter Act FAQ," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2015 || 2016 || Gov. [[Kate Brown]] (D) || [https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2015R1/Measures/Overview/HB2177 HB 2177]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]<ref name=paavr/> || 2023 || 2023 || Gov. [[Josh Shapiro]] (D) || Enacted through governor's office
+| [[Voting in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]<ref name=paavr/> || -- || 2023 || Gov. [[Josh Shapiro]] (D) || Executive action<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240531010356/https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/governor/newsroom/press-releases/governor-shapiro-implements-automatic-voter-registration-in-penn.html ''Commonwealth of Pennsylvania'', "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," archived May 31, 2024]</ref>
 |-
-| [[Voting in Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]<ref>[http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText17/HouseText17/H5702A.pdf ''Rhode Island General Assembly'', "H 5702," accessed July 20, 2017]</ref> || 2017 || 2018<ref name=implementationestimates>[https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration ''Brennan Center for Justice'', "Automatic Voter Registration," April 17, 2018]</ref> || Gov. [[Gina Raimondo]] (D) || [http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText17/HouseText17/H5702A.pdf H5702]
+| [[Voting in Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]<ref>[https://vote.sos.ri.gov/Voter/RegisterToVote#:~:text=Unless%20you%20opt%2Dout%2C%20you%20are%20automatically%20registered%20to%20vote%20while%20completing%20DMV%20forms%2C%20if%20eligible. ''Rhode Island Department of State'', "Register to Vote," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2017 || 2018 || Gov. [[Gina Raimondo]] (D) || [https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText17/HouseText17/H5702.htm H 5702]
 |-
 | [[Voting in Vermont|Vermont]]<ref>[http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2016/H.458 ''Vermont General Assembly'', "H. 458," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2016 || 2017 || Gov. [[Peter Shumlin]] (D) || [http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2016/H.458 H 458]
 |-
-| [[Voting in Virginia|Virginia]] || 2020 || 2020 || Gov. [[Ralph Northam]] (D) || [https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&typ=bil&val=hb235 HB235]/[https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB219 SB219]
+| [[Voting in Virginia|Virginia]]<ref>[https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/how-to-register/ ''Virginia Department of Elections'', "How to Register," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref> || 2020 || 2020 || Gov. [[Ralph Northam]] (D) || [https://legacylis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB219 SB 219]
 |-
 | [[Voting in Washington|Washington]]<ref>[https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2595&Year=2017 ''Washington State Legislature'', "HB 2595 - 2017-18," accessed May 17, 2017]</ref> || 2018 || 2019 || Gov. [[Jay Inslee]] (D) || [https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2595&Year=2017 HB 2595]
 |-
 | [[Voting in West Virginia|West Virginia]]<ref>[http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2016_SESSIONS/RS/bills/HB4013%20SUB%20ENR.pdf ''West Virginia Legislature'', "House Bill 4013," accessed March 25, 2017]</ref> || 2016 || 2021 || Gov. [[Earl Ray Tomblin]] (D) || [http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2016_SESSIONS/RS/bills/HB4013%20SUB%20ENR.pdf HB 4013]
-|}<section end=AVRStates/>
+</datatable>
+<section end=AVRStates/>
 ==Support and opposition==
 ===Support===
-Liz Kennedy, Lew Daly, and Brenda Wright, in a 2016 report published by [[Demos]], argued that automatic voter registration promotes civic participation, reducing barriers that might otherwise impede citizens from exercising their constitutional rights to political participation:<ref>[http://www.demos.org/publication/automatic-voter-registration-finding-americas-missing-voters ''Demos'', "Automatic Voter Registration; Finding America's Missing Voters," January 20, 2016]</ref>
+In a 2022 report, the Institute for Responsive Government, which described its mission as "to help policy makers find solutions that make government more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of real human beings," argued that automatic voter registration improves the efficiency of election administration and helps to ensure accurate voter rolls:<ref>[https://responsivegov.org/who-we-are/ ''Institute for Responsive Government'', "Who We Are," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240714022654/https://responsivegov.org/research/new-hampshire-automatic-voter-registration/ ''Institute for Responsive Government'', "New Hampshire Common-Sense Election Improvement Policies Series," archived July 14, 2024]</ref>
+{{Quote|
+*AVR ensures voter rolls are up to date: Roughly 10% of Americans move each year. With AVR, whenever an eligible individual provides new information to the DMV, their voter registration is seamlessly updated, unless the person declines, reducing obsolete registration entries and deadwood on the voter file.
+*AVR ensures voter rolls are accurate: AVR improves accuracy by relying on an electronic transfer of information. AVR reduces the need for error-prone handwritten paper registration forms that must be manually entered by clerks.
+*AVR reduces election day issues: A person who is registered or updated through AVR does not need to register or update at the polls via same-day registration or cast a provisional ballot, reducing the potential for delays, additional paperwork, and voter confusion on election day.
+*AVR saves money: Processing each paper registration form costs roughly $4.72 in labor, and election mailings to outdated or incorrect addresses are an unnecessary expense. AVR undercuts both of these cost drivers, and can save state and local election officials hundreds of thousands of dollars each election.
+}}
+Liz Kennedy, Lew Daly, and Brenda Wright, in a 2016 report published by [[Demos]], argued that automatic voter registration promotes civic participation, reducing barriers that might otherwise impede citizens from exercising their constitutional rights to political participation:
+<ref>[http://www.demos.org/publication/automatic-voter-registration-finding-americas-missing-voters ''Demos'', "Automatic Voter Registration; Finding America's Missing Voters," January 20, 2016]</ref>
 {{Quote| Our current voter registration system, which is designed as a voter-initiated or 'self-registration' system, creates barriers to registration that do not serve any significant purpose in a democracy. Demos believes that full participation in elections significantly depends on achieving universal voter registration through an automatic registration system. Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) builds on the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and other voter registration reforms to improve the overall effectiveness of the voter registration system. Automatic Voter Registration uses information already on file with a variety of government agencies to identify persons who are eligible to vote and add them to the voter rolls, or update their voter information, in a paperless process. With comprehensive and inclusive AVR, states have the opportunity to take a major leap forward in voting rights by building the modern, equitable registration system that we need and deserve.|author=Liz Kennedy, Lew Daly, and Brenda Wright}}
-The [[Brennan Center for Justice]], in a 2017 report, argued that automatic voter registration can reduce errors and inefficiencies in the electoral process:<ref name=brennancenter>[https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration ''Brennan Center for Justice'', "Automatic Voter Registration," June 1, 2017]</ref>
+The [[Brennan Center for Justice]], in a 2017 report, argued that automatic voter registration can reduce errors and inefficiencies in the electoral process:<ref name=brennancenter>[https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration ''Brennan Center for Justice'', "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref>
-{{Quote| Automatic voter registration makes two transformative, yet simple, changes to voter registration: Eligible citizens who interact with government agencies are registered to vote unless they decline, and agencies transfer voter registration information electronically to election officials. These two changes create a seamless process that is more convenient and less error-prone for both voters and government officials. This policy boosts registration rates, cleans up the rolls, makes voting more convenient, and reduces the potential for voter fraud, all while lowering costs.|author=Brennan Center for Justice}}
+{{Quote|AVR makes two simple transformative, yet transformative, changes to voter registration. First, AVR makes voter registration "opt-out" instead of "opt-in"—eligible citizens who interact with government agencies are registered to vote or have their existing registration information updated, unless they affirmatively decline. Again, the voter can opt-out; it is not compulsory registration. Second, those agencies transfer voter registration information electronically to election officials instead of using paper forms. These common-sense reforms increase registration rates, clean up the voter rolls, and save states money.|author=Brennan Center for Justice}}
 ===Opposition===
+In a 2024 article, GoodParty.org, an organization that described its missions as "provid[ing] the structure, grassroots support, and tools to make it possible to run a winning campaign without the baggage and habits of the two major parties," said that drawbacks of automatic voter registration included:<ref>[https://goodparty.org/about ''GoodParty.org'', "Our Mission," accessed July 15, 2024]</ref><ref>[https://goodparty.org/blog/article/pros-cons-automatic-voter-registration ''GoodParty.org'', "Pros and Cons of Automatic Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025]</ref>
+{{Quote|
+*Potential Resistance: AVR may meet legal and political resistance as it seeks to change the current laws and standards of voter registration in some states. Some opponents may argue that AVR will benefit one political party over another.
+*Privacy Concerns: Automatic voter registration may raise concerns about voter registration data security and privacy by exposing voter information to malicious or unauthorized use.
+*Startup Costs: While AVR can save election officials money over time, switching from manual to automatic voter registration requires investing in certain startup costs.
+*Need for Collaboration: Automatic voter registration may necessitate coordination and collaboration between several government agencies and stakeholders in order to implement potentially complex adjustments to the current election procedures.
+}}
 [[Hans von Spakovsky]], in a 2013 report published by the [[Heritage Foundation]], argued that automatic voter registration poses a threat to the integrity of elections by increasing the likelihood of ineligible voter participation. He also argued that automatic registration infringes upon citizens' constitutional rights:<ref name=heritage>[http://www.heritage.org/report/mandatory-voter-registration-how-universal-registration-threatens-electoral-integrity ''The Heritage Foundation'', "Mandatory Voter Registration: How Universal Registration Threatens Electoral Integrity," March 27, 2013]</ref>
@@ Line 93: / Line 108: @@
 ==Automatic voter registration legislation==
-The table below lists bills related to automatic voter registration introduced during, or carried over to each state's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
+The table below lists bills related to automatic voter registration introduced during (or carried over to) each state's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
 * State
 * Bill number
-* Official name or caption
+* Official bill name or caption
 * Most recent action date
 * Legislative status
-* Topics dealt with by the bill
+* Sponsor party
+*Topics dealt with by the bill
-Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
-<html><iframe src="https://legislation.ballotpedia.org/elections/search?category=Automatic%20voter%20registration&session=&page=1&embed=true"  frameborder="1" height="500"></iframe></html>
+Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on [https://legislation.ballotpedia.org/elections/home Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker], which includes bill details and a summary.
-==Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker==
+<html><iframe src="https://legislation.ballotpedia.org/elections/search?category=Automatic%20voter%20registration&session=&page=1&embed=true"  frameborder="1" height="500" width=100%></iframe></html>
-[[File:election_tracker_site_ad.png|800px|center|link=https://legislation.ballotpedia.org/elections/home]]
-<br>
-State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
-Here's the solution: '''[https://legislation.ballotpedia.org/elections/home Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker]'''.
-Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
-* Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
-* We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
-* And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
-==The Ballot Bulletin==
+{{Election leg promo L2s}}
-{{Ballot Bulletin L2}}
 ==See also==

Automatic voter registration: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:16, 19 December 2025

Contents

Automatic voter registration by state

Support and opposition

Support

Opposition

Automatic voter registration legislation

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