Vermont voting has entered the twenty-first century with a new online voter registration system. On October 12, 2015, Vermont’s Secretary of State, Jim Condos, launched a new online voter software allowing eligible Vermont citizens to prepare for election day online. The system allows voters to register to vote, find their polling place, request an absentee ballot and track its status, as well as view sample ballots. The software also includes features to aid local election officials in processing ballots, entering election results, and registering voters. The new software cost Vermont $2.8 million. However, 70% of the funds came from the federal government through the Help America Vote Act.
Vermont officials have high hopes for the online software. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin remarked that the software will make a huge difference in making voting easier. Online registration will hopefully boost the amount of active voters and lead to more voter participation. Secretary Condos added that “[t]his is positive progress that Vermont can be proud of.”
Twenty-five other states have implemented similar online voter registration programs in the last decade. Even though Vermont’s primary objective is to increase voter turnout, other states have considered the cost reductions of online registration. Arizona saw significant savings after moving to paperless registration. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), it cost Arizona 83 cents per paper registration and 3 cents per online registration. Other states have also experienced significant cost reductions after adopting an online system.
Full Article: Vermont Begins Online Voter Registration |.