Nebraska residents who are eligible to vote will be able to register and update their registrations online under a new system that Secretary of State John Gale plans to launch this week. The secretary of state’s office will unveil the new project website Tuesday as part of National Voter Registration Day, said spokeswoman Laura Strimple. Gale has said the new system will mark one of the biggest technological advancements in voter registration in years. It also has been shown to boost voter registrations in other states that adopted the technology. “Online voter registration is really the tip of the spear when it comes to modernizing our election system in Nebraska,” said state Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, the executive director of the voting-rights group Nebraskans for Civic Reform. “There’s a lot of work to be done, but this is a great first step.”
The new website managed by the secretary of state’s office will allow Nebraska residents to register with a valid driver’s license or photo identification. Nebraska has about 1.1 million registered voters.
Morfeld said the new system will improve access to voting and likely increase turnout among highly mobile groups, such as college students and low-income residents. It also meets the demands of a public that already uses the Internet to file taxes and pay bills, he said.
The online system was approved by lawmakers and former Gov. Dave Heineman last year, and required collaboration from the secretary of state’s office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of the Chief Information Officer and two private firms.
Full Article: Nebraska to launch new online voter registration service – starherald.com: Regional/Statewide.
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