A new proposal would make voter registration easier for Minnesotans.
In a proposition revealed last week, Ritchie wants to make the voter registration process easier. Minnesota is already one of only six states that allow voters to register on the same day as an election, but Ritchie's program would register all individuals that have Minnesota driver licenses. This suggestion would dramatically increase the ease of being a registered voter. The measure would also significantly reduce the number of people participating in same-day registration and thereby speed up the lines at polling places.
While registering more Minnesotans won't necessarily ensure they will vote, the right to vote should be as accessible as possible. And for those that never want to be registered, the driver's license form will have an opt-out option.
Minnesota is setting a trend that other states should follow. Registering to vote must be done over 20 days prior to an election in over half of all states. This is an extra bureaucratic step that only serves to reduce voter interest and involvement. By linking registration to driver licenses, more citizens will be permitted to participate in the democratic process. It is hard to have a democracy with some left out in the cold.
Mark Ritchie is new in office, but his proposal seems well thought out. As secretary of state, his job is to ensure the integrity and implementation of elections, and his new ideas seem perfect for the goal of improving democracy. If Minnesota adopts his proposal, it will be a grand achievement for democracy in this state.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.