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Gov. Brown approves automatic voter registration for Californians

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G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
Link. Did a quick search and didn't see a thread.

Targeting California’s recent record-low voter turnout, Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed a measure that would eventually allow Californians to be automatically registered to vote when they go the the DMV to obtain or renew a driver’s license.

The measure, which would also allow Californians to opt out of registering, was introduced in response to the dismal 42% turnout in the November 2014 statewide election.

That bill and 13 others the governor signed Saturday, will "help improve elections and expand voter rights and access in California," Brown's office said in a statement.

Some 6.6 million Californians who are eligible to register to vote have not registered, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who supported the legislation as a way to increase voter participation.

"The New Motor Voter Act will make our democracy stronger by removing a key barrier to voting for millions of California citizens," Padilla said Saturday. "Citizens should not be required to opt in to their fundamental right to vote. We do not have to opt in to other rights, such as free speech or due process."

The law takes effect Jan. 1, but the new registration process will not be offered until the state completes work on a new voter registration database called VoteCal, which is expected around June 2016, the time of the presidential primary election.

Currently, driver’s license applicants are asked whether they want to register, and if they do, they are supposed to be given a paper registration form to fill out, although activists say that does not always happen.

The new system would register applicants when they visit a Department of Motor Vehicles office to get a new license or renew an expiring one, unless they opt out, and without having to fill out a new paper form.

"It's removing the first barrier to voting, which is registration," said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), the bill's author, on Saturday. "It's going to lead to millions more Californians being registered to vote, which means more people we can talk to."

Voting rights activists, including CalPIRG Executive Director Emily Rusch, said the voter registration bill was much-needed medicine for a system that is ailing.

"A well-functioning democracy depends on the participation of its citizens," Rusch said, noting that the registration gap is most severe for young people. Only 52% of eligible youth 18-24 were registered to vote before the last election.

Brown also signed a bill that permits county elections officials to offer conditional voter registration and provisional voting at satellite offices during the 14 days immediately preceding election day. The measure, which also cannot be implemented until the new voter registration database is finished, would make voting more convenient according to Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), the author of SB 439.

Another bill signed by the governor will make voting more convenient by allowing voters who use vote-by-mail ballots to drop them off at secure boxes to be located throughout the community before election day. Boxes at shopping malls and libraries would make it easier to cast ballots, officials say.

The measure by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) requires the secretary of State to develop guidelines for the use of drop-off boxes, including security measures, by Jan. 1, 2017.

Pavley said there was some ambiguity in existing law that made her bill necessary.

She noted that in the election last November, Los Angeles County, which has 10 million residents, had one drop-off location.

"This may have contributed to the fact that only 38% of voters in Los Angeles County used [vote-by-mai] -- nearly 20% lower than any other county in the state," Pavley said.

The governor also signed a bill that will speed up election returns by allowing county elections officials to begin counting votes before the close of the polls on election day.

Assemblyman Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga) introduced that bill, AB 363.

Brown also approved a bill allowing Monterey and Sacramento counties to hold some all-mail ballot elections, joining San Mateo and Yolo counties in experimenting with the practice. That measure, AB 1504, was introduced by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville).
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V

v1lla21

Member
Another bill signed by the governor will make voting more convenient by allowing voters who use vote-by-mail ballots to drop them off at secure boxes to be located throughout the community before election day. Boxes at shopping malls and libraries would make it easier to cast ballots, officials say.
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This pretty cool. Good stuff.
 
N

Nelo Ice

Banned
This gov, I like him. Hoping this means I can convince other people my age to actually vote. Since every vote counts and I do not want to see the GOP win.
 
M

Mortemis

Banned
Pretty awesome. I know it'll be pretty much impossible for this to happen nationwide anytime soon, but man it needs to happen.
 
K

kIdMuScLe

Member
Why don't they tie in government assistance with voting? If you don't vote for the year then you don't get government assistance. Or is this line of thinking horrible?
 
U

unholyrevenger72

Banned
Voting for local, state and National level stuff should take place on July 3rd a new federal Holiday, Voting Consolidation Day. So there is no excuse. the next day is July 4 and you can get drunk and celebrate your political victories, or get drunk and forget your political loses.
 
R

Rodney

Neo Member
kIdMuScLe said:
Why don't they tie in government assistance with voting? If you don't vote for the year then you don't get government assistance. Or is this line of thinking horrible?
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I think one of the many perks of democracy is that you can choose not to vote. I live in an ex-communist state. Before the change of regime every election there was a 90+% turnout. But did it matter? Not really. You could only vote for one guy.

Don't get me wrong I don't want to compare the US to that, I just want to point out that voter participation is not the issue. If you get everybody to the ballot box it won't be better, to make real changes you have to convince them that is good for them to vote, and not only vote, but actually participate in the democratic process. Talk to their congressman, organise rallies, be informed about public issue, etc.
 
A

Aske

Member
kIdMuScLe said:
Why don't they tie in government assistance with voting? If you don't vote for the year then you don't get government assistance. Or is this line of thinking horrible?
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It's horrible. Government assistance shouldn't be something the unfortunate have to jump through hoops to obtain.


People think of those who need benefits as beggars rather than charity cases: "they ought to earn our help." It's better to think of them like incapable family members. They're your people, so you look after them as best you can, and expect nothing in return.
 
B

Barzul

Member
I hope the automatic registration is only for American citizens. Registering to vote is grounds for deportation for a permanent resident and who wants that for something as innocous as registering/renewing for a drivers particularly since California is a high immigration state.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Barzul said:
I hope the automatic registration is only for American citizens. Registering to vote is grounds for deportation for a permanent resident and who wants that for something as innocous as registering/renewing for a drivers particularly since California is a high immigration state.
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Um derp of course it's only for citizens. You think they didn't remember that detail?
 
Z

Zona

Member
Christopher said:
I think the opposite honestly
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The Pew research I found seems to indicate that there are generally more democratic and democratic leaning people in the US. Their distribution also gives them an advantage in the electoral college and state level offices. The problem for the Democratic Party has always been that their base just doesn't turn out to vote regularly.
 
E

Empyrean Heaven

Member
dehydratedbabies said:
Awesome. This needs to be a priority for the entire country.
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Won't happen. Republicans having control of most state legislatures + African-American and Hispanics historically voting Democratic + the gutting of the VRA = Republicans doing whatever they can to
make it easier for Republicans to get registered and elect a Republican presidnt
stop voter fraud.
 
A

Aske

Member
Megadragon15 said:
How about a huge no for this.
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This is such an interesting ethical issue. While I'd love for people to care less about dead bodies than living people, I completely understand that this is not the way most cultures relate to the dead.

I tend to think the happy medium is giving registered donors priority over those who aren't registered, should they require transplants themselves. That encourages people to register without the nannying of an auto-registering, opt-out system.

Obviously this would only affect adults in an "all else being equal" scenario, so perhaps it wouldn't even come up in practise; but with luck, the idea that one might be passed over in favour of someone who registered would be enough to outweigh the squeamishness, superstitiousness, and unfounded fear that often stands in the way of registration.
 
A

AstroNut325

Member
Some of the comments in the comments section:

The left has been telling us there has never been any voter fraud. Now they legislate it.
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M C

Just another way to make it easier for illegals to vote.
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Elgjer2244

Motor voter means illegals can vote. What value has citizenship if your vote is cancelled out by a foreigner with no allegiance to this nation?
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MARK-BRYAN

Gee Brown so the undocumented aliens are going to be allowed to vote in California? Is that your "brilliant plan? Remember just a while ago you allowed undocumented aliens to get a driver's license and now you passed a law that those that have a driver's license can vote!! How are you going to prevent that from happening given all of the mistakes that the DMV employees make intentionally or unintentionally!! What is your next "great" law going to be... renaming California to Mexico North?!!!
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Rthomp8363

Just in time when all the illegals are getting driver licenses in CA. They will all be registered to vote.

Plus this doesnt help minorities, since Liberals say they cant afford to get a picture ID, so guess very few minorities drive.
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harryinla

Just another way for the Left to cheat in elections. They don't even need to cheat in this state with all of it's silly arse liberals and their allowance of illegals to maintain the right to live here regardless of the laws being broken.
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And this is just the first page of the comments section! Are these people trolling or just mentally deficient?
 
F

FyreWulff

Member
Ironically this happened because the Republicans pushed so hard to require full IDs to vote.

So now that the full ID is good enough to register to vote, might as well cut out the middleman and auto-register you to vote.
 
J

jerry113

Banned
AstroNut325 said:
Some of the comments in the comments section:


And this is just the first page of the comments section! Are these people trolling or just mentally deficient?
Click to expand...

I think these comments are the definition of salty.

If your political faction is the side advocating for making it more difficult for people to have their say and vote, you know you're on the wrong side of the war.
 
Livingskeletons

Livingskeletons

If I pulled that off, would you die?
Told my parents about this and they vehemently disagreed with the policy.

Don't understand how simplifying the process is faced with such opposition by some people.
 
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