Advocates want same-day voter registration in N.C.

Durham Herald-Sun (Durham, NC) ^ | April 16, 2003 | The Associated Press

[Constitution Day]

Advocates want same-day voter registration in N.C.

The Associated Press
April 16, 2003   12:27 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Election reform advocates urged legislators Wednesday to pass a bill that would allow voters to register anytime -- even on Election Day.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake, also would allow registration at any early voting site. Voters would have to show a pictured identification and sign an affidavit swearing to their residency.

"This bill makes it easier for North Carolina voters to participate in the political process at a time when it makes sense to do so," Ross said.

Bob Hall, research director for campaign watchdog organization Democracy North Carolina, said more than a million voting-age residents of North Carolina are not registered.

"We think it is important to provide them tools to help them register," he said.

Six other states -- Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming -- have similar same-day registration laws.

Ross said those states also enjoy much higher voter participation rates than North Carolina.

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[Constitution Day]

Deborah Ross is the former director of the North Carolina ACLU.

[Constitution Day]

NC ping!
Please FRmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[Dan from Michigan]

If I lived there, my view on it - HELL NO!

[firebrand]

Make straight the path for those who don't think about elections until they're hot news.

[Constitution Day]

No kidding!!!

Otherwise, we might as well say "Vote Early and often now, y'hear?"

[Michael81Dus]

I never understood the US election systems.
In whole Europe it is so easy: you got a residence, and there you are allowed to vote - no matter if you had registered before.

[Constitution Day]

NC went for Bush in 2000 and I'm sure Deborah is still steamed.
In a caring, non-violent, earth-friendly way, of course.

[Phantom Lord]

The RATS in NC are doing anything and everything they can to slow their continued losses on election day in NC. After the GOP won over virtually the entire judicial branch they have removed party affliation from Judicial candidates. This was clearly done because the GOP is seen as the "law and order" party while the RATS are seen as "soft on crime".

Durham County NC has more registered voters than it does residents over 18! When it was suggested that the Durham County voter rolls needed to be cleaned up the RATS went bonkers.

I am surprised that they would include a provision requiring photo ID. It is illegal in NC for such ID to be requested. Now that I think about it, they are including that as a smoke screen and carrot to the GOP since they know that portion of the law will be struck down and photo ID will not be needed. Pretty slick on their part.

[ElectricStrawberry]

I'm not sorry, but I feel that those that aren't registered to vote aren't planning on voting for one of many reasons. Any tampering with the not-broken registration system is for fraudulent reasons...and I wonder who wants voter fraud.

[Kuksool]

Election day voter registration is a bad idea. Remember, NC allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver licenses. No doubt, the RATS want this bill to pass to protect Blinky and Weasley next year.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I bet there would be a lot of last minute registrations at Alzheimer's homes, at shelters, off of the streets, and so forth. And the presumption with a last day registration would be that they were valid. And they would be....Democratic, by a majority of oh...say...98% (the margin of error in checking the box is probably around 2%, except in Fla.)

[PetroniDE]

Why no Republican statements in this article?

My response: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO...

Dirty little secret regarding protested/contested votes: In Texas, these votes are counted, no questions asked, unless someone contests election results.

[AntiGuv]

It substantially raises voter turnout, as evidenced by those states where it's permitted. Moreover, there's not the slightest evidence that it helps Democrats more than Republicans. Indeed, Minnesota's been trending steadily more Republican since same-day registration was implemented. That state also has the highest turnout of any, because it's had election-day registration the longest and people are aware of how easy it is to vote.

[TommyDale]

They don't even check the identification of the voters....
I can see it now -- voters being bussed from precinct to precinct voting multiple times for their favorite DemocRAT.

[Constitution Day]

You must understand my suspicions, since a former ACLU director has sponsored the bill.

[Chairman Fred]

An initiative for just this was on the November ballot here in California. Those favoring it outspent the opposition by a huge margin during the campaign. The proposition lost badly (something like 59-41). Californians aren't that stupid.

OK, NC, there's your goal-prove that you're at least as smart as Californians.

[Moby Grape]

This is about DEMOCRAT FRAUD....line up a bunch of homeless, etc...pay them a few bucks, bus them there, and tell them to vote for the democrat.

[Constitution Day]

Good comments, PL.

I was highly annoyed when the party affiliation was removed.
Obviously, the judicial candidates will try to articulate their views, but let's be honest - most peoples' eyes glaze over by the time they reach that section.

I know what you mean about Durham County.
My dad's family (and many, many ancestors) are from there. It's a mess.

Now, I did not know that requesting photo ID was actually illegal!
I get steamed every time I go vote and they act like they don't want to see my voter card.

Of course, you know I live in Edgecombe County... Democrat country.

Regards,
CD

[Dan from Michigan]

In the US, it depends on the State.

We've had problems with voter fraud in the past in several areas. Many people also have two addresses. With same day registration, it's easy to vote twice.

In my state, there are two rules. You must register where your drivers license address is. That is largely because some college students were voting at the wrong place or voting twice. The other rule is registering 30 days before the election.

In my view, those that do not know that law that live in my state should not be voting here, since they haven't taken the time to inform themselves.