The League of Women Voters of California is excited about today’s implementation of online voter registration in our state. We applaud the work of the Secretary of State’s office, in coordination with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the 58 county elections officials, to give Californians a more open and accessible registration process.

Now, any eligible California voter who has access to the Internet and a drivers license or ID signature on file with the DMV can register whenever and wherever it is convenient. The new system adds convenience for voters and improved accuracy for elections offices while maintaining the security of the registration process. We anticipate enthusiastic use of this new process; thousands of Californians had already registered online in the hours before its formal announcement.

The League of Women Voters encourages all people who are eligible to vote to register and to cast an informed vote in all elections. We believe in the power of the vote, and that government should make voter registration and reregistration easy while assuring that the basic requirements of citizenship, age, and residency are met. We also believe that the state should continue to take a strong role in encouraging the facilitation of registration and voting.

Voter registration too frequently presents a barrier to eligible voters. Online voter registration will increase the number of registered voters and facilitate updates of voter registration for people who have moved or changed their name or political party by allowing them to do the process online.

Online registration will help prevent errors in transcribing handwritten information on registration affidavits and will speed up recording of late registrations and cut down on errors. Voters will be better served AND millions of dollars will be saved.

We are proud to have been among the supporters of this great step forward.

Subject

Online Voter Registration: A Reality in California!