voter registration

[cellio]

With all the drives to get people registered to vote in time for the November election, and at least one state reportedly headed to court over deadlines (caused, apparently, by Columbus Day being a holiday), I've been wondering... why do we even need voter registration today? (Aside from preserving some government jobs, I mean.) What's wrong with saying: show up at the poll in your assigned location, show proof of citizenship and of residence, be checked against a list of people who can't vote (mainly people who've already voted, but I think felons can't vote?), and vote. Since voting is districted, election officials can make sure any no-vote list is distributed to the right places in advance -- no Internet connection required. From there, it's just checking that the person is in the right polling place and hasn't already been here. Nobody has to have done paperwork in advance; everybody who's eligible and wants to gets to vote. Wouldn't this enfranchise more voters than the current system?

(You already have to give your name when you show up to vote and be checked off the list, so there's no privacy issue that isn't already present.)

Comments

[cellio]

"Motor voter" -- yes, for people who have driver's licenses, which isn't everybody. But that just adds a wrapper around the processing; it doesn't improve the back end.

Part of the point of bringing proof of citizenship (not just a driver's license, which anybody can get) is that the checks were done when you obtained that, so at the polling place they should only need to check that you live there (look at the address on your pay stub, utility bill, tax return, or whatever) and haven't voted yet.