Online Voter Registration: Individuals may register to vote online, through the state election official’s portal. What it is and how it will Help Online voter registration permits individuals to register to vote online, rather than requiring them to fill out paper forms and then return them by mail or drop them off at the office of an election official. The reform allows greater access for eligible voters, who increasingly handle a number of their day-to-day transactions online, and eases administration for elections officials, freeing them from extra paperwork. Additionally, the move to online voter registration saves the county money[1], making it a win-win. We are an increasingly transient population – over 10% of Americans move in any given year – and one that frequently relies on the internet to conduct anything from online banking to shopping. Permitting eligible individuals to register to vote online is the next step to ensuring that all eligible Americans are meeting registration requirements in order to have their voices heard on Election Day. While we’re not yet ready for online voting – it’ll take more time before we can hack-proof the submission of a voted ballot through the internet – states across the country have already shown that online voter registration is safe, effective, and costsaving. Indeed, it’s for these reasons that the reform has a lot of bipartisan appeal, and was advanced as a reform for the Presidential Commission on Election Administration to implement.[2] Key Data While online registration is a new reform, a recent study of Arizona’s online registration system found that young and minority voters are disproportionately likely to register online. With respect to young voters, the study found that registration rates among 18-24 year-olds rose from 29% to 53% after it introduced online registration.[1] A CalTech study found that in Arizona and Washington, young people disproportionately used online registration and that this method of registration might lead to higher turnout overall.[2] The research finds that low income Americans have been more inclined to use online registration. It also boosts the participation of voters who have moved recently.[3] Where is it available? Over half the states now allow an individual to register to vote online. Most of the states have either passed or implemented the reform since 2010, making it one of the fastest-growing elections reforms and suggesting that the rest of the country is sure to follow suit. The following data is from the National Conference of State Legislatures:[3]

Recent Action Vermont: The secretary of state launched the online voter registration system in October 2015. The system was developed without specific enabling legislation. West Virginia: Online voter registration, which was enacted in 2013, was implemented in September 2015. Nebraska: Online voter registration, which was enacted in 2014, was implemented in September 2015. Pennsylvania: The governor announced the launch of the online voter registration system in August 2015. The system was developed without specific enabling legislation. Hawaii: Online voter registration, which was enacted in 2012, was implemented in August 2015. Florida: Online voter registration was enacted in May 2015 (SB 228). Oklahoma: Online voter registration was enacted in April 2015 (SB 313). New Mexico: Online voter registration was enacted in April 2015 (SB 643). District of Columbia: Online voter registration was enacted in October 2014 (B20-0264). Illinois: Online voter registration became available in June 2014. Massachusetts: Legislation to create online voter registration was enacted in May 2014. Delaware: Full online voter registration became available in April 2014. Nebraska: Legislation to create online voter registration was enacted in March 2014. Georgia: Online voter registration became available in March 2014. Minnesota: Online voter registration became available in October 2013, without enabling legislation. In 2014, the legislature authorized the use of the system. Connecticut: Online voter registration went "live" in December 2013. Illinois, Virginia and West Virginia: Legislation to create online voter registration was enacted in 2013. For more information, contact us here: Democracy Initiative Education Fund 50 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 Email: [email protected] Phone: 202.567.6101 www.dieducationfund.org [1] See http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/02/online_voter_registration_woul.html [2] See http://www.commoncause.org/issues/voting-and-elections/registration-and-votingsystems/did-we-fix-that-2014/Did_We_Fix_That_2014_Full_Report.pdf [3] See http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/electronic-or-online-voterregistration.aspx [1] Michelle K. Cohen, Online Voter Registration, May 2013. [2] Matt Baretto, et.al., Washington Institute of the Study of Ethnicity and Race and the Election Administration Research Center, Online Voter Registration (OLVR) Systems In Arizona and Washington: Evaluating Usage, Public Confidence and Implementation Processes, April 1, 2010. [3] Allyson Pellissier, “In Line or Online? American Voter Registration in the Digital Era,” CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project, February 18, 2014.

State Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Indiana Kansas Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota (a) Missouri (b) Nebraska Nevada New Mexico New York (c) Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia

Year Enacted n/a 2011 2009 2012 n/a 2014 2015 2012 2012 2013 2009 n/a 2009 2011 2014 2014 n/a 2014 2011 2015 n/a 2015 2009 n/a 2012 2009 n/a 2013 2007 2013

Bill Number No legislation required SB 397 HB 1160 HB 5024 No legislation required B20-0264 SB 228 SB 92 HB 1755 HB 2418 HB 1346 No legislation required HB 520 HB 740 HB 3788 HF 2096 No legislation required LB 661 AB 82 SB 643 No legislation required SB 313 HB 2386 No legislation required HB 4945 SB 25 No legislation required HB 2341 HB 1528 SB 477

Year Implemented 2002 2012 2010 2014 2014 2015 n/a 2014 2015 2014 2010 2009 2010 2012 2015 2013 2014 2015 2012 n/a 2011 n/a 2010 2015 2012 2010 2015 2013 2008 2015

Website EZ Voter Registration California Online Voter Registration Go Vote Colorado Connecticut Online Voter Registration I Vote Delaware District of Columbia Online Voter Registration Not implemented yet Georgia Online Voter Registration Hawaii Online Voter Registration Illinois Online Voter Registration Indiana Online Voter Registration Kansas Online Voter Registration Geaux Vote Maryland Online Voter Registration Massachusetts Online Voter Registration MN Votes Vote Missouri Nebraska Online Voter Registration Nevada Online Voter Registration Not implemented yet New York Electronic Voter Registration Not implemented yet OreStar PA Online Voter Registration S.C. Online Voter Registration Utah Online Voter Registration Vermont Online Voter Registration Virginia Voter Registration MyVote West Virginia Online Voter Registration