Column: It’s time to pass automatic voter registration

With 2020 ended, most of us will agree that we’ve been tested by fire individually and as a nation. Most will also agree this truth has emerged clearer and stronger than ever: The right to vote and be counted is the foundation of our democracy.

Despite great obstacles during November’s general election in Hawaii, we voted in record numbers. According to the state, 579,784 of us cast our ballots this general election — the highest number of ballots cast in a single election since statehood in 1959. Also, more of us than ever — 832,466 — registered to vote. This number is up from 756,751 registered voters in 2018.

Hawaii now leads the nation in terms of eligible citizens who registered to vote as compared to those registered in previous elections. Praise be to the fact it’s becoming easier to register to vote in Hawaii. We can vote online as well as by mail, and we have in-person same- day registration, too. Registering online has definitely made it much easier for people forced by the pandemic to work from home.

So we’re heading in the right direction as far as registering eligible voters. Now let’s build on our success. Let’s take the next logical step by making it even easier for Hawaii’s residents to register to vote for federal, county and city elections. We can do this if our state legislators pass the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) bill during the 2021 legislative session that starts Jan. 20.

The AVR bill would automatically make every eligible citizen a registered voter or have their voter registration updated when applying or renewing their driver’s license or state ID. There is no compulsion. Everyone has the right to decline. Voter registration would be electronically transferred between licensing and election officials, resulting in a more efficient, secure and convenient voter registration process. Busy people can tick this “to do” chore off their list. For more about AVR, see avrhawaii.com/#what.

AVR also saves the state money and resources. Since everything is automatic when applying for or renewing your driver’s license, there’s no need for the state to print and keep track of registration forms or update voters’ address records on paper. Not only is there no cost to implement AVR, since election ballots will be mailed to the voters’ current mailing address, AVR also improves voters’ security and privacy.

There is no excuse for the AVR bill not to pass this legislative session since AVR builds on the success of online voting registration, minimizes bureaucracy, saves money and resources for the state, plus requires less time and effort from eligible voters. What’s not to love about the Automatic Voter Registration bill? It seems to me that regardless of one’s political beliefs, automatic voter registration is an issue that all Hawai’i residents can and should support.

However, let’s not assume that the common sense AVR bill will pass without us taking action.

Please take a few minutes today to support the drive to enact the AVR bill. Start by finding your state representatives (www.capitol.hawaii.gov/findleg.aspx), then contacting them to urge their support for the AVR bill during the upcoming legislative session.

Let’s monitor our representatives’ actions to make certain that the Automatic Voter Registration bill passes this session and is in place by the time of our next general election.

Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, founding director of the Hawai’i International Film Festival, is now president of Te Maka Productions, Inc., and producer/ host of a storytelling podcast series.