The League of Women Voters of California urges Governor Brown to sign AB 1461, the California New Motor Voter Program sponsored by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and to require that automated voter registration at the DMV be in place in time for the 2016 elections.

The LWVC has been working for full implementation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) in state agencies including Covered California and, currently, at the Department of Motor Vehicles. As a result of our efforts, the current year’s budget includes funding for the DMV to implement online voter registration during driver’s license transactions. The momentum to implement an automated system must not be lost!

We call on the Governor to sign AB 1461 and issue an accompanying statement to ensure the DMV will implement efficient, streamlined voter registration BEFORE the June 2016 primary.

For many Californians, registering to vote is a significant barrier to participation in our democracy. The League of Women Voters stands firmly behind efforts to make registration easy and accessible to all eligible citizens. California ranks 38th among the states in voter registration, a dismal record that must be improved. AB 1461 could potentially bring the 6.6 million eligible, but unregistered, voters in our state—who are predominantly Latino, African American and Asian-Pacific Islanders—into the electoral process.

Bringing as many eligible Californians into our election process as possible has great rewards for our democracy. We urge Governor Brown to sign this historic bill to improve the civic life of all Californians. 

Subject

Voter Registration