Demos: Critical 'Same Day Registration' Law Led to Over 22,000 New Primary Election Voters
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2008
1:59 PM
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CONTACT: Demos
Tim Rusch, Demos, trusch@demos.org,
(212) 389-1407 |
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Critical 'Same Day Registration' Law Led to Over 22,000 New Primary Election Voters
Statement from Election Policy Center, Demos, on Impact of
SDR Reform
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - May 16 - North Carolina's new "Same Day Registration" (SDR) law allowed 22,293 new voters to participate in the state's high-turnout, May 6 primary election, according to recently published data. Demos, a national election policy center that has conducted nationwide research examining the impact of same day registration and voting laws, and which worked with North Carolina officials to inform the passage of their SDR law, released the following statement:
"Since enactment of SDR in 2007, eligible citizens have been able to register to vote and cast a ballot at 'one-stop' early voting sites, open after the close of the state's voter registration deadline. African Americans comprised 44 percent of the Same Day registrants and voters on May 6; whites made up 45 percent of the total. Thousands of other previously registered North Carolinians who had moved from their previous home counties were able to update their voter registration records and cast valid ballots. Absent Same Day Registration, tens of thousands of eligible North Carolina voters would not have been able to participate in this year's presidential primary.
"Years of research and experience have shown that Same Day Registration can open up elections to vast numbers of American citizens. SDR did just what it was supposed to do in North Carolinaextend the vote to tens of thousands of otherwise eligible voters.
"States that allow voters to register and vote on the Election Day generally enjoy turnout rates that average 10 to 12 percentage points more than states that do not. The experience of Same Day Registration states inspired North Carolina legislators, a state voter coalition, and the state's chief elections officer to champion passage of SDR by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2007.
"Research commissioned by Demos projected an overall 5.4 percent increase in voter turnout with Same Day Registrationand higher increases for young voters, individuals who had recently moved, African Americans and the poor. A newly-released Demos report chronicles the factors that led to North Carolina's enactment of SDR last year; new political leadership in the General Assembly; the support of influential election officials; and a strong, unified coalition of advocates and organizers.
"Allowing citizens to register and vote on the same day is one of the simplest and quickest means by which the voting booth can and should be opened to all eligible citizens; the evidence is in: North Carolina's voters win with Same Day Registration. North Carolina's policy makers are to be commended for their leadership in bringing SDR to the state."
For more information on Election Day Registration, including new reports on SDR's potential impact on North Carolina turnout in a general election and an examination of SDR's path to becoming law in North Carolina, visit www.demos.org or contact Tim Rusch at trusch@demos.org
Demos is a national, non-partisan public policy research and advocacy center.
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