Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives

Publication Date: September 2006

Publisher: Brennan Center for Justice

Author(s):

Research Area: Politics

Keywords: Voter Registration

Type: Brief

Abstract:

54 million eligible Americans are not registered to vote. In the 2004 election cycle, non-profit organizations registered millions of Americans to vote, many for the first time. Voter registration drives help citizens who face the greatest barriers to voting Many states have recently enacted burdensome restrictions on voter registration drives, enforced with heavy fines and criminal penalties. These laws require voter registration groups to go through complicated procedures before conducting voter registration drives. Many of these new laws have shut down or substantially impeded voter registration drives Laws restricting voter registration drives do not address any real problems.