The state of California has agreed to mail voter registration forms to nearly 4 million people who have signed up for insurance through its health care exchange after a threat of a lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday. The ACLU of California and others said they threatened to sue the state for failure to comply with the National Voter Registration Act, also called the Motor Voter Act. The law is designed to make it easier for voters to register by requiring there to be opportunities to apply at offices that provide public services. The ACLU said Covered California had provided no opportunities since it launched Oct. 1. The mailings must be completed by May 5.
The 19-page agreement also commits the state to develop procedures by this fall to ensure that all insurance applicants have an opportunity to register to vote, whether they apply in person, online, by phone or mail.
Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, called the settlement a warning to other health exchanges that he says have not provided voter registration opportunities, such as Nevada, Hawaii, Washington and Washington, D.C.
“It’s time to end the foot-dragging,” Ho said. “States have had months to make voter registration available through their health exchanges. A delay in offering voter registration is a delay for democracy.”
Full Article: State will send voter forms to insurance enrollees – SFGate.