Column: Why not automatic voter registration?

It’s clear from testimony submitted by public officials in the county clerks’ offices, the state Department of Transportation and the Office of Elections that automatic voter registration (AVR) could be accomplished with minimal changes to the statewide systems we already have. With a view toward more efficiency, which saves taxpayers money, the Office of Elections and the Department of Transportation already collaborate to shift paper-based voter registration forms to digital.

Let’s dispel a few myths. First, “automatic” voter registration does not mean “mandatory.” Customers applying for a driver’s license or a state identification card through the Department of Transportation (Division of Motor Vehicles, or DMV) already provide information needed to register on a separate page of their application, as required under the 1993 National Voter Registration Act.

With passage of this year’s state Senate Bill 159 “Relating to Voting,” voters would automatically be registered to vote unless they choose to decline. If a voter chooses not to register, the voter’s information is not used for voter registration.

Another myth is that AVR will open the fraud floodgates. The truth is our DMV applications already clearly instructs those who are noncitizens, not Hawaii residents or too young to register NOT to complete the voter registration form. Importantly, an affidavit must be signed by the applicant attesting to the truth of information provided including birthdate, citizenship and address. Deliberate violations are subject to prosecution; conviction for an election fraud is $1,000-$5,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

Believing ineligible voters get registered to vote is tantamount to accusing the DMV and county clerks’ offices of not doing their jobs; there is just no evidence that is happening. All that is “automatic” about AVR is the transmission of information from the DMV to the clerks after the voter has given permission. The clerks will continue to verify the voter’s information.

What about the objection that it shouldn’t be too easy to register? The citizen has already taken the initiative to register through his or her DMV application. Automatic voter registration wouldn’t shift such responsibility. But registering to vote isn’t supposed to be a test of citizen perseverance, which is why Hawaii has already moved to make registering easier, permitting same-day registration and online voter registration.

Another myth alleges that voting rights are less fundamental than other citizen rights such as the “right to bear arms.” The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right to bear arms and the right to vote is protected under the Fifteenth Amendment. Both are fundamental rights.

Would increasing the number of registered voters depress the turnout rate? If the base number of registrants grew because of AVR, and the number of voters stayed the same or declined, of course this ratio falls. But consider a stricter measure of voter engagement, which factors in eligibility. Estimates from U.S. Census data in November 2020 indicate only 40% of those eligible to vote in Hawaii voted. Why wouldn’t we make it easier for the remaining 212,000 eligible but unregistered citizens to register?

There’s no guarantee automatic registration increases voter turnout, but ready access to registration is the first step in voting, as 20 states that already participate in AVR realize.

If you argue against this, you’re closer to suppressing the right to vote. We know that’s not what you want. So, consider this additional truth: Voting officials who helped make the 2020 election experience the best in a long time all have the League’s support for this change.

Let’s pass this simple bill that doesn’t require an appropriation. Then we can all enjoy the convenience of automatic voter registration and efficient voter roll maintenance.

Piilani Kaopuiki is president of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii.