The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for January 26, 2023
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
National Conference of State Legislatures – Online Voter Registration
Mississippi State Senate – Senate Bill 2301
New Hampshire State Senate – Senate Bill 70
BallotPedia – Online voter registration by State
Groups Taking Action:
Mississippi Votes, League of Women Voters, ACLU Mississippi, New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, Kent Street Coalition, Open Democracy Action
Today’s Script: (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
We’re in Mississippi & New Hampshire today, two states not known to be on the leading edge of democracy reform. But both states are considering online voter registration, which improves access to voting for all citizens, and critical for young voter participation.
Only eight states remain without online voter registration, including Mississippi, New Hampshire, Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arkansas, Montana, and Wyoming. Those states which have implemented online registration have varying rules, with some including online submission of documents and ID, and others using a hybrid system which allows the registration to be submitted online, but still requiring a trip to an election office for verification.
If passed, Mississippi’s Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 2301 would allow qualified citizens with a state-issued ID to register and submit documents electronically, which would be reviewed by municipal or county officials prior to acceptance. It would also allow a voter to change addresses, update last names, and other maintenance items, again, subject to review by election officials.
Similarly, New Hampshire’s Senate Bill 70 would allow new voter registration, requesting absentee ballots, and requesting changes to name, domicile, and party affiliation in the statewide voter database, subject to approval by local election officials. The bill is sponsored by a Republican, but New Hampshire’s conservatives have been reluctant to move it forward in past years.
We have links to articles and groups taking action, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.