One graphic explains automatic voter registration

States across the country are taking action to update their elections with automatic voter registration.

Sarah Friedman

Just 53.6 percent of Americans cast their ballots in our last presidential election. That leaves the U.S. 31st out of 34 industrialized countries included in a study on voter turnout. For a country that prides itself on a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” that’s simply unacceptable.

There are many problems that contribute to low voter turnout, but we also know there are proven solutions. Let’s start by telling our lawmakers we need to update our voter registration system for the 21st century.

Automatic voter registration is common sense, it has bipartisan support, and it’s already helping states engage more voters in our elections. Here’s a quick explainer:

1By International Standards, U.S. Voter Turnout is Low,” Pew Research Center, May 1, 2015.

Authors

Sarah Friedman