Election Day Voter Reg Passes in NC!

A form of Election Day voter registration passed the North Carolina General Assembly yesterday. If the bill is signed by the governor and becomes law, voters who cast ballots at "one-stop" sites during early voting periods before elections would be allowed to register the same day. Currently, state law requires voters to turn in registration forms by 25 days before the election.

In the 2004 presidential election, six states offered Election Day registration (EDR), and boasted, on average, voter turnout that was 12 percentage points higher than in non-EDR states.

EDR is especially beneficial for young people. Young Americans move frequently -- for school, for jobs -- making it harder for them to be registered. They register to vote at lower rates than the general population. With EDR, these highly mobile Americans can register at the last moment and vote. According to Demos, EDR could increase youth turnout in presidential elections by as much as fourteen percentage points.