# Oregon introduces automatic voter registration
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [March 17, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186 "2015-03-17T10:21:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/21 "2015-03-17T16:04:08Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#):
>
> Regardless of civic duty, there is no reason voting should not be convenient. Why should someone have to jump through even one hoop in order to vote? Why is this, in the minds of many Republicans, some sort of unwritten requisite, other than to suppress the vote of the undesired?
Because poor people have less mobility, access to child care, and free time than more well-to-do people. If you make voting easy, more poor people will vote.
And the GOP hates that, because a lot of them think that poor people want to sit around and vote themselves handouts.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/22 "2015-03-17T16:11:26Z")
Let’s step back from the details and consider the overall picture of the voting process.
Registration was invented to reduce fraud, wasn’t it? The idea was that if you registered one day, then came to the polls months later with the same identity claim, you were probably a genuine, entitled-to-vote citizen.
Then the register & vote on the same day process was introduced in some states.
With instant computerized access to databanks, is this 2-step process necessary any more? How about devising a single-step process where you scan your driver’s license, vote, and the database would lock you out if you tried it again on the same day?
A provision would have to be made for those without licenses, but that’s the same provision that must be made for the registration process now.
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### Author:  [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/23 "2015-03-17T16:23:42Z")
FYI - Voting in Oregon is done exclusively by mail-in. [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon).
So, the automatic voter registration is just one more move to make the process seamless.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/24 "2015-03-17T16:32:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> It is great that Oregon is trying to make it easier and other states can and should follow suit. But there is also the matter of voter ID, voting hours, and voting machine distribution. Next election day, you’re going to see footage of voters standing in line for hours- these will not be middle class whites. There will be registration forms tossed for being on the wrong weight of paper- these will not be middle class whites. There will be people who lack the ability to take a day off work or get transportation to procure a voter ID. Again, guess who this will not be?
Voting in Oregon is 100% mail-in, so I can more or less guarantee you we won’t be seeing any long lines or voting machine errors. 🙂
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/25 "2015-03-17T16:37:11Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> And this is actually a problem when it comes to getting people registered to vote. If they are only marginally likely to vote if registered, and the jury pool is selected from registered voters rather than registered drivers, they’ll avoid registering to vote in order to keep from having to serve on a jury.
>
> Whatever else is true about ease or difficulty of voting, there shouldn’t be actual incentives to avoid the whole process built into the system.
Are you seriously saying that the possibility of being chosen for jury duty is an incentive to avoid registering?
That’s some pretty shitty civic responsibility if that’s the way people feel.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/26 "2015-03-17T17:10:15Z")
I’m going to make a prediction. As the automatic voter registration is done from DMV records and we KNOW that the GOP are against expanding the voter rosters, there will be a lawsuit, maybe not in Oregon, but in another state that tries this, in which the GOP comically will argue that such a law discriminates against people who don’t have licenses. Thus trying to get rid of the law, reducing the total number of voters, on the pretense that they actually give a damn
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/27 "2015-03-19T17:15:29Z")
We’ve had automatic voter registration for federal elections in Canada for some time. It’s a box you tick on your income tax return, to have Rev Can pass your name and address on to Elections Can.
It’s not foolproof - I’ve not been included on the voter’s list for my riding in both of the last two federal elections, and have had to swear myself in at the polling booth, but it’s pretty effective.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/28 "2015-03-19T17:48:01Z")
If you want to increase voter turnout, make election day a mandatory holiday. Easy. Well, hard to get passed, but easy to implement.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/29 "2015-03-19T18:34:25Z")
What a splendid idea! Holds out hope for a massive increase in voter registration and perhaps even turnout. Surely the Republicans will greet this development with wild enthusiasm and joy!
Me? Tequila and bongwater, why do you ask?
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/30 "2015-03-19T18:43:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> If you want to increase voter turnout, make election day a mandatory holiday. Easy. Well, hard to get passed, but easy to implement.
vote by mail is even easier. We’ve been doing it for years (Washington)
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### Author:  [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/31 "2015-03-19T21:02:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> If you want to increase voter turnout, make election day a mandatory holiday. Easy. Well, hard to get passed, but easy to implement.
Making voting day a mandatory holiday would make Republicans’ heads explode.
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### Author:  [@buddy431](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy431)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/32 "2015-03-19T21:59:52Z")
Oregon votes by mail, so really registering is the largest hurdle to voting. It will be interesting to see if turnout changes that much. I think that it potentially could. Are there studies that estimate how many more people are expected to get mailed a ballot because of this?
FiveThirtyEight had an [article](http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/oregons-new-automatic-voter-registration-is-unlikely-to-have-a-big-effect/) on this. They cite some studies that show that automatic or easier registration has some effect on voter turnout, but maybe not as much as would guess. On the other hand, most of those studies are in states where you still have to drag yourself to the polls, which is arguably a bigger hurdle than registering. I think it could make a lot bigger difference in Oregon. We will see though.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/33 "2015-03-20T02:31:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> If you want to increase voter turnout, make election day a mandatory holiday. Easy. Well, hard to get passed, but easy to implement.
I prefer early voting. There’s no such thing as a mandatory holiday and we shouldn’t introduce such a thing in a free country.
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### Author:  [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/34 "2015-03-20T19:34:13Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> There’s no such thing as a mandatory holiday and we shouldn’t introduce such a thing in a free country.
Why not?
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/35 "2015-03-20T19:40:07Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#):
>
> Why not?
Someone has to staff the hospitals, fire stations, and McDonalds.
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### Author:  [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/36 "2015-03-20T19:50:12Z")
> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> Someone has to staff the hospitals, fire stations, and McDonalds.
Heh. McDonalds. 🙂
The holiday could be as mandatory as New Years day or the 4th of July, whereby the bulk of the population has the day off to vote.
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/37 "2015-03-20T19:52:46Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#):
>
> Heh. McDonalds. 🙂
>
> The holiday could be as mandatory as New Years day or the 4th of July, whereby the bulk of the population has the day off to vote.
I’m actually okay with the idea, but after experiencing 100% mail-in ballots, that will remain my first choice for making voting easier.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/38 "2015-03-20T20:47:06Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#):
>
> Why not?
Because our little friend there wants the GOP to win, and it would be harder if there were more voters. He won’t tell you that, but his posting history suggests it
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/39 "2015-03-21T00:23:13Z")
I’m assuming that Republicans opposed the move to mail in ballots? That’s suggested by their collective evilness, but I don’t recall hearing much about it. Or what kind of arguments they mounted against it. Assuming that they _did_ resist, because they are evil.
You were there, **Procrustus**? What kind of arguments did they offer? (I am, of couirse. willing to be astounded if you tell me they didn’t resist this cromulent nugget of progress…)
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-introduces-automatic-voter-registration/715186/40 "2015-03-21T01:03:33Z")
In Oregon, a lot of the opposition was (is) based on fears of voter fraud and coercion. Neither of these has been shown to be substantive. And yeah, it was primarily orchestrated by anti-tax conservative Republicans.
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