March 24, 2008. Unless it’s your birthday, under normal circumstances, this date would have little significance. But having spent 2+ hours every weeknight and 10+ hours every weekend day for the last 3½ weeks on the street with a clipboard and a smile, I can tell you exactly what it is: March 24, 2008 is the last day to register to vote in the Pennsylvania Primary.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Voting and Registration in the Election of 2004 report, in that year 64% of voting-age citizens voted in the presidential election. Beyond meeting the age and citizenship thresholds, the only other requirement for voting is registration (unless you live in North Dakota where registration is not required). In 2004, 89% of registered citizens voted in the presidential election.
In a country where we lament the fact that less than two-thirds of the voting age population cast their vote on election day and where we know registration is a key indicator of voting, why do we make it so hard for people to register to vote in Pennsylvania?
While the media and the community are focusing on the significance that Pennsylvania can play in this year’s presidential election, there’s an underlying issue that isn’t being discussed. Pennsylvania’s approach to voter registration and voting is outdated, difficult to navigate, and rule-intensive, and it keeps citizens—particularly the young, those with lower levels of educational attainment, and the geographically mobile -- from participating in the democratic process.
But, like many of the challenges that we face in Pennsylvania, we can learn from best practices employed elsewhere in the country.
Recommendation #1: Institute Election Day Voter Registration in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania’s voter registration deadline is 30 days before Election Day. Research indicates that the 14 days prior to an election is the period when the greatest number of people are focused on it. Thus, the Commonwealth is denying the opportunity to vote before many even realized that they wanted to participate.
Of the states with the highest percentage of voting in 2004, 5 of the top 6 have same day voter registration or no registration requirement. Not only does eliminating pre-election registration significantly boost voter turnout, but it has been proven easier to administer and as cost effective as ahead-of-election voter registration. For more information visit
Demos’s resource center on Election Day Registration.
Recommendation #2: Improve the Layout and Word Choice on Pennsylvania’s Voter Registration Form and Make it Readily Available in Multiple Languages.
Pennsylvania’s Voter Registration Form is poorly organized, difficult to fill out correctly, and not readily available in languages other than English. Before I send out volunteers to register voters, I found it necessary to provide a 10-minute tutorial on completing the form correctly and a reference sheet in case they forget something I’ve said.
Despite this support and the aid of a volunteer helping to ensure the form is completed correctly, 5-10% of the forms our volunteers return with are missing data or filled out incorrectly. To understand why, all you need to do is look at how
this form is laid out and how the questions are communicated.
In marked contrast to Pennsylvania’s poorly laid out and poorly-worded form, Minnesota has an easy-to-follow form that clearly states what information must be provided. Additionally, it is readily available
online in 6 languages.
Recommendation #3: Institute Early or “In-Person Absentee” Voting in Pennsylvania.
It’s difficult to get an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania. Of the 23 states with rates of voting significantly higher than the national average in 2004, 13 of them had early or “in-person absentee” voting programs. This program allows you to vote early if you know you will be unable to vote on election day.
In contrast, to cast an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania, you must call or stop by the Board of Elections to pick up an affidavit to request an absentee ballot, and then return the affidavit to the Board of Elections. Then, the absentee ballot will be sent to you in the mail, which you can then complete and send back to the Board of Elections.
One step or four—you be the judge of which approach encourages more voters to cast their ballot on election day.
Pennsylvania is the state in which the Bill of Rights was drafted. And while that document was revolutionary in the rights it afforded citizens, the Commonwealth has lagged behind other states in its efforts to ensure that all citizens have a voice in elections. It’s time for our state government to be reminded that ours is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” and the first step to making that sentiment truth is eliminating the obstacles that prevent people from voting.
-- Alison Gold, Director of Strategic Initiatives
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