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Automatic voter registration through DMV

Gov. Jerry Brown acted Saturday to increase participation in California elections and help prevent shootings at colleges, approving automatic voter registration and banning concealed weapons on campuses.

Source: Jerry Brown OKs automatic voter registration through DMV – LA Times

California has always been kind of “out there” for me but they do things that need to be done much before most other States. Where most of the “red” States are doing things to make it harder to vote, leave it up to very blue California to do the opposite. Thinking about it, it just makes sense that if you are getting a license with a permanent address attached why shouldn’t that automatically allow you to vote with that address? Why do you have to do anything else? Given that so few of us seem to vote these days we should make it as easy as possible to vote.  You got a driver’s license, you can vote…

But since this new law will mainly affect those 18-24 year old voters I imagine the GOP will fight it in red States. Most of those young folks will likely vote Democrat.  Maybe their decision to require a valid driver’s license at the polls in the red States  will backfire on them. Wouldn’t be the first time.

I just don’t understand how a party that claims almost sole ownership of patriotism and the Constitution can act the way they do sometimes.  I read recently where a southern State is now limiting the hours of voting in certain districts.  They say it is to save money but almost all the districts are predominately African-American.  Hypocrisy is saying one thing will doing the exact opposite. That description just seem to totally fit the 21st century GOP right now.  I hope that changes but I don’t see, given the current anti everything mood over there, that it has a chance of happening…

As Goes California, So Goes The Nation

3 thoughts on “Automatic voter registration through DMV”

  1. Many states have had motor-voter laws for years. I have never registered to vote anyplace except motor vehicle departments. It is also where I choose to donate my organs.
    The hang up has nothing (actually) to do with voting. It has to do with a driver license being a legal document to use. If you have not gotten a new driver’s license you have not run into the new laws. California is balking at the restrictions that homeland security has implemented. Here is the Wiki on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REAL_ID_Act

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  2. Thanks for the additional info Jan and the reference. Indiana, where I live, is one of those red States who put impediments in the way of voting it seems. I had heard of motor-voter laws but didn’t make the reference here. As to “real ID”, yeah I kind of think we do need a national ID card instead of leaving it up to each State to decide what is real for themselves. If we implemented it with the right database it could prevent all the alleged voter fraud mentioned by my conservative friends and also would practically eliminate hiring of illegal immigrants. It seems like a win-win to me but of course there are those who fear anything coming from our national government.

    Thanks for all the stuff to think about today….

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    1. Jan, after your comments I have been studying this problem more and discovered that yes as you say 15 States have Motor/Voter registration. But how that is done is what is different from State to State. Some require getting into another line and filling out a multi-page application to make it complicated. What California is doing is saying if you have a driver’s license you are registered to vote, no separate process.

      Thanks for helping me understand this topic more…

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