As the New York Times recently reported, “In the two years since the Supreme Court struck down critical parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Republicans in several states have moved to shut down early voting,

require identification at the polls, reduce the number of voting places and times, and cull voter rolls in what they say is an effort to combat fraud,” which itself is a fraudulent position since voter fraud is virtually nonexistent. In contrast to GOP voter suppression efforts, Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are fighting for universal voter registration. And while California and Oregon have taken the lead in passing automatic registration laws, NJ Gov. Chris Christie vetoed similar legislation in his state.
Of course, voter suppression laws affect the poor and minorities the most. So,if you’re interested in expanding voting rights in your state, check out The Case for Automatic, Permanent Voter Registration from The Brennan Center. The report urges adoption of the four components of a permanent registration system, with automatic registration as its central plank. The Center has also published a companion document, Automatic and Permanent Voter Registration: How it Works, which provides in-depth answers explaining how states can use existing technology to implement automatic registration.
Get universal registration going in your state, for we are a Nation at Risk.