NYT: Never Too Late to Vote

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/opinion/11dunlap.html?pagewanted=print

May 11, 2007
Op-Ed Contributors
Never Too Late to Vote
By BEN YSURSA and MATTHEW DUNLAP

LAST month, Gov. Chet Culver of Iowa signed a bill authorizing Election Day registration, which allows previously unregistered voters with proper ID the opportunity to cast a ballot that day. This is a powerful tool to promote voting and, as secretaries of state of two states that already have this policy in place, we welcome Iowa in joining our ranks.

With Election Day registration, all qualified voters can participate in the vital American tradition of voting without finding themselves hampered by arbitrary registration deadlines. Seven states — ours, as well as Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming — now use E.D.R., and the evidence is convincing: voter turnout in these states is on average 10 to 12 percentage points higher than in other states.

While opponents are concerned that this option might encourage voter fraud, such crime is exceedingly rare or nonexistent in states that offer Election Day registration. Citizens of Maine, for instance, have benefited from same-day registration since the early 1970s and no case of voter fraud has ever been attributed to the policy. With simple, fair and safe methods to verify voters, and by relying on effective poll-worker training and sophisticated election administration, our states have ensured the integrity of the process while allowing every eligible citizen to cast a ballot.

We also reject the oft-used argument that voters not registered in advance should be effectively barred from voting as punishment for not heeding existing deadlines. While it’s true even E.D.R. states have deadlines in place for registration by mail, we firmly believe that missing a deadline should not prevent interested and engaged parties from being able to register in person on Election Day. We are committed to leaving no voter behind, including first-time voters, newly naturalized citizens and those who may have recently changed addresses.

When it comes especially to voters ages 18 to 25 — a demographic often absent at the polls — a recent study by Demos projected that in Iowa, Election Day registration could result in a 10.7 percent increase in voting among that group.

FULL article at link.