Big Win for Voter Pre-registration in CA

Advances in MA and RI

On October 11, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a voter pre-registration measure spearheaded this year by the New America Foundation and backed by FairVote, Common Cause, Californians for Electoral Reform and many others. It establishes that all Californians turning 17 can register to vote. Voter pre-registration measures allowing 16-year-olds to pre-register have also become law in recent years in North Carolina and Florida. A member of the Massachusetts statehouse leadership announced last week that a similar measure is her top priority in coming weeks, and the Washington, D.C. City Council last week unanimously backed pre-registration legislation.

FairVote's work pushing pre-registration since 2005 is also making a big difference in Rhode Island, where a major canvassing effort (the “Make it Happen” campaign) is underway in support of pre-registration. A Pew Charitable Trusts research team currently is examining the impact of pre-registration on FairVote's goal of universal registration of all soon-to-be-eligible voters, ideally twinned with civic programs explaining voting mechanics and the history of suffrage.

• Massachusetts news story detailing Rep. Ellen Story's support for pre-registration
• Rhode Island video by young activists backing pre-registraiton
• New America Foundation factsheet on preregistration in California and news story
• FairVote resources on pre-registration    
  
• The bad news--see what good election and transparency bills the governor vetoed here
  

Front page, New York Times: IRV over Low-Turnout Runoffs

Instant runoff voting is increasingly recognized as a practical and cost-efficient way to replace low-turnout runoff elections. In New York City, the low turnout in Democratic primary runoffs and the potential of IRV made front page news in the New York Times, and FairVote’s Rob Richie advocates IRV in another Times piece. IRV also has gained more support in commentary for elections in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, as well as in the Detroit Free Press.

Voter Choice Massachusetts has a website promoting a petition drive to get IRV on the Bay State’s ballot next year, and the Trenton Times has commentary touting IRV for its multi-candidate race for governor.  In Minnesota, Minaneapolis readies to use IRV for local elections for the first time, and twin city St. Paul decides on IRV on its own November ballot. Internationally, British prime minister Gordon Brown is pledging a national referendum on IRV.

Links:

• New York Times front pager
• Rob Richie quoted in the Times
• Trenton Times: Time to Consider Instant Runoff Voting
  
• Detroit Free Press: Haven't Detroit voters spoken enough?
  
• Press Telegram: Instant Runoff Voting could streamline Long Beach balloting process
• Daily News (Los Angeles): Voter Turnaround
• Voter Choice Massachusetts
• St. Paul Legal Ledger: Horny Toad the choice in IRV election

North Carolina Adopts Youth Preregistration

New law includes high school civics standards

North Carolina governor Bev Perdue signed H.B. 908, an election reform bill that includes the FairVote-endorsed policy of youth preregistration and improved opportunities for voter registration in high schools. Following Hawaii and Florida, North Carolina becomes the third state to set a uniform voter registration age of 16-years-old. The bill passed the House and the Senate by votes of 107-6 and 32-3, respectively.

The new law takes effect January 1, 2010 and allows 16 and 17-year-olds to "preregister" to vote, including a provision requiring schools to provide voter registration opportunities to students in public schools every year. The bill also encourages schools to expand voter registration in schools by working with local boards of election. Youth preregistration bills have been introduced in several other states this year, including Arizona (HB 2384), California (AB 30), Kansas (HB 2256), Maryland (SB 671), Michigan (SB 61), Rhode Island (SB 5005), Washington (HB 1193) and the District of Columbia (Bill 18-345). 

[Bill Information: HB 908]
[FairVote North Carolina Registration and Education Project]
[Youth Preregistration Fact Sheet]
[FairVote Ally Democracy NC]