Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to officially unveil Connecticut’s new online voter registration system. The link to the new voter registration feature can easily be reached online at ct.gov and will be featured on every Connecticut state agency website. Connecticut now becomes the 15th U.S. state to provide the complete ability to register to vote online. The new online voter registration feature will be available to eligible Connecticut voters – residents of the state who are both American citizens aged 18 and older – who hold a valid Connecticut driver’s license or other ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The system is designed to have the voter enter their personal information for voter registration online, information which then populates a form that is sent via email to the registrar of voters where the new voter or voter changing address wants to register. The registrar of voters must then check the entered information and verify that it is accurate before adding the new voter to the Connecticut Voter Registration System statewide database. Secretary Merrill’s office worked with the Connecticut DMV to implement a new law requiring online voter registration that was enacted in 2012. Under the law, a new voter registering online agrees to add their electronic signature – already on file with the DMV – to the voter registration form online. With the electronic signature, the new voter attests online that all of the information contained in the voter registration form is true and accurate. In addition to new registrations, voters can also change their current registration online.
“This new system will make it faster and more convenient for citizens of all eligible ages to take advantage of one of their most fundamental rights as American citizens,” Malloy said. “Voting is the most basic tenant of our democracy – it is incumbent upon us to ensure that voters have adequate access to the ballot box and that we encourage civic engagement.”
“With online voter registration, we truly mark a historic step in moving Connecticut’s elections into the 21st century,” said Merrill, Connecticut’s chief elections official. “Now, from the convenience of their own home computer or laptop, or even from a tablet or smart phone, Connecticut citizens can very easily register to vote. Through this new online feature we hope to reach a larger pool of eligible voters – especially younger voters – who may have found it difficult or inconvenient to register to vote and now with a few short clicks of the mouse can sign up to participate in our democracy!”
Full Article: Malloy to unveil new online voter registration feature | Monroe Courier.