Vermont will allow voters to cast ballots the same day they register to vote, effective January 2017. It used to be that voters would need to register close to a week before casting a ballot. “For the greatest democracy in the world, the number of people who vote in elections is too low, and it hurts our democracy because it’s so low,” said Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vt. Shumlin authorized the so-called same-day voter registration law Monday in Montpelier, making Vermont the fourteenth state to have such a law. Other states that allow same-day voter registration include New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Shumlin said same-day registration could increase voter turnout. He cited data from the public policy group Demos, which said voter turnout is about 10 percent higher in states with same-day voter registration. The turnout for last November’s state elections in Vermont was among the most dismal in state history.
Clerks in cities and towns in Vermont will not need to adapt to the new rule in time for next year’s presidential primary, or even in time for the general election in November. It doesn’t take effect until January of 2017.
Full Article: Vermont to Launch Same-Day Voter Registration | NECN.