The Expansion of Innovative Voter Registration Methods, 2000–2024

Research by April Tan and Kyle Yoder,

with assistance from Research Interns Jordan Phan, Carly Pyles, and Jane Wright

Overview

Over the last two decades, states have implemented several innovative policies that streamline the process of voter registration, promote voter list accuracy, and create more options for eligible citizens to register or update their voter registration. Such policy innovations include online voter registration (OVR), same-day voter registration (SDR), and automatic voter registration (AVR). The number of states that have implemented at least one of these three voter registration methods increased from seven states in 2000 to 46 states in 2024. To underscore this point: during the 2000 general election, less than 6% of voting-age citizens lived in states that had implemented one of these registration methods. As of this writing, nearly 90% of voting-age citizens live in states that will have at least one innovative registration method in place for the 2024 general election, and roughly one-third of voting-age citizens now live in states that have implemented all three methods.

The map below shows the innovative registration methods in each state and Washington, D.C., in each presidential election since 2000.

Availability of Innovative Voter Registration Methods, 2000-2024

Election officials in every state are required to verify each prospective voter’s identity and eligibility. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) created minimum requirements for establishing and verifying voter identity and eligibility through the voter registration process, including requiring applicants to provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number.[1] Historically, the basic voter registration method in the United States has required voters to submit a paper form to a local election office by some deadline before an election. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) created additional methods for voter registration in federal elections that apply to 44 states and Washington, D.C.[2] The NVRA requires these states to offer voter registration opportunities at motor vehicle agencies, by mail-in application, and at certain state agency and military recruiting offices.[3]

Defining Innovative Voter Registration Methods:

Online Voter Registration (OVR): A process by which eligible citizens may submit a new or updated voter registration application electronically via a state government website or app.

Same-Day Voter Registration (SDR): A process by which eligible citizens may register to vote or update their existing registration and cast a vote on the same day, either on Election Day or during the early in-person voting period.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR): A system that registers eligible citizens to vote or updates their existing registrations during an interaction with a designated government agency (e.g., the DMV) by automatically and electronically transferring relevant information from designated government agencies to election officials, unless a citizen withholds permission for the agency to do so.

For the upcoming 2024 general election, 46 states and Washington, D.C., will have at least one innovative voter registration method in place beyond these basic methods. Of these, 43 will have OVR, 25 will have SDR, and 24 will have AVR, with 29 states and Washington, D.C., administering two or all three of these registration methods.

Benefits of Innovative Voter Registration Methods

Innovative voter registration methods promote administrative efficiency, enhance election security, and promote voter access. Online voter registration (OVR), same-day voter registration (SDR), and automatic voter registration (AVR) have been embraced in states across the U.S. over the last two decades, with implementation efforts led by state legislatures and governors from both major parties.

OVR, SDR, and AVR improve administrative efficiency and voter list accuracy, which enhances election security. When registration is done automatically or online, officials save on the time and resources associated with manual data entry, voter list updates, and error correction related to handwritten forms.[4] OVR and AVR systems can also efficiently verify prospective voters’ information against existing records in other state databases and electronically transfer relevant information to election officials, further reducing the potential for administrative errors and delays as well as offering additional verification of identity.[5] Since registration through an AVR system is tied to life events that might bring one to a government office like a motor vehicles agency—such as moving residences or coming of age—voters’ information is updated in a timely manner. As an extra safety net, SDR gives prospective voters the opportunity to update their registration before they vote, which creates the most up-to-date record possible. The greater amount of verified, up-to-date voter information granted by these registration methods helps election administrators as they work to prevent, detect, and mitigate any potential issues that may arise before, during, or after the election.[6]

Innovative voter registration methods also promote access to the democratic process by allowing citizens to more easily register or update their registration. Eligible citizens in states with OVR, AVR, and SDR can choose to register online, automatically while applying for a driver’s license, or at the time of casting a ballot. Because these registration methods enhance voter list accuracy, the likelihood increases that important election mail will be successfully delivered, precincts will be assigned correctly, and voter transactions will be processed in a timely manner.[7] AVR also reduces the number of inactive records on voter lists by keeping registration records up to date, while SDR ensures that any voters who did not register to vote in time, were mistakenly removed from the voter list, or had errors in their registration record are still able to vote during an election.[8]

How CEIR Measured the Expansion of Innovative Voter Registration Methods

To trace the expansion of innovative voter registration methods nationwide since the 2000 general election, the CEIR research team reviewed administrative agreements, ballot measures, and enacting or extant legislation for relevant voter registration methods in each state. This data was then cross-referenced with state government sources, news articles, and survey responses from Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) reports published by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Where the categorization or implementation year of a given voter registration method was unclear, the research team deferred to the definitions and interpretations of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Variation in policies and processes has spurred an ongoing debate in the election administration field about what is categorized as automatic voter registration (AVR).[9] For the purposes of this report, CEIR relied on the National Conference of State Legislature’s (NCSL) categorization of AVR.

All information in this report regarding the 2024 general election is current as of August 12, 2024, and may be subject to change due to legislation, litigation, or other developments as the election approaches. For more information on voter registration deadlines for in-person, online, and mail-in registration, keep an eye out for CEIR’s upcoming companion data dive. Voters should visit vote.gov or ask their local election officials to confirm deadlines and procedures for the voter registration methods available in their state.

Additional Resources

Additional information and perspectives on this topic are available at the following resources:

• National Conference of State Legislatures, “Online Voter Registration,”
  https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/online-voter-registration.
• National Conference of State Legislatures, “Same-Day Voter Registration,”
  https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/same-day-voter-registration.
• National Conference of State Legislatures, “Automatic Voter Registration,”
  https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration.

Citations

[1] 52 USCS § 21083.

[2] 52 USCS § 20501 et seq.

[3] Among the six states currently exempt from NVRA compliance, only Minnesota offers voter registration at motor vehicle agencies, by mail-in application, and at certain state agency and military recruiting offices. Idaho, Wisconsin, and Wyoming only offer mail registration. New Hampshire only offers registration by mail to certain eligible citizens. North Dakota does not require formal voter registration, but eligible citizens must present a valid form of identification that includes their name, current residential address, and date of birth before casting a ballot in-person or by mail. These states were granted exemption from NVRA compliance because they either did not require voter registration or offered election-day voter registration before the designated August 1994 deadline and have kept these policies in place continuously since August 1994.

[4] United States Government Accountability Office, “Issues Related to Registering Voters and Administering Elections,” June 2016, https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-16-630.pdf.

[5] Congressional Research Service, “Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress,” updated September 19, 2022, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46406; National Conference of State Legislatures, “Online Voter Registration,” updated July 11, 2024, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/online-voter-registration.

[6] Congressional Research Service, “Voter Registration Records and List Maintenance for Federal Elections,” October 21, 2021, https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R46943.pdf.

[7] Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, “The Importance of Accurate Voter Data When Expanding Absentee or Mail Ballot Voting,” accessed July 22, 2024, https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/importance_of_accurate_voter_data_508.pdf; U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Helping America Vote: Voter List Maintenance,” accessed July 22, 2024, https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/electionofficials/VoterList/Voter_List_Maintenance_Overview_V2_508.pdf.

[8] U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Best Practices: Voter List Maintenance,” March 2023, https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/electionofficials/VoterList/Best_Practices_Voter_List_Maintenance_V1_508.pdf; Congressional Research Service, “Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress.”

[9] Some experts only consider as having AVR states where eligible citizens are notified after their information is sent to the voter registration agency (i.e., back-end systems). Other experts include in their categorization of AVR states where eligible citizens are registered by default unless they decline (i.e., front-end default systems) or are required to answer yes/no (i.e., front-end forced choice systems such as Utah and South Dakota).