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

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

in addition to all else people will point out, ID can expire out from under one, be stolen, be lost, be issued in a different


i would say more but my roommates are yelling outside my room

[cellio]

Sorry about the roommates. :-(

For purposes of voting, I wouldn't think it necessary that the ID be currently valid for its primary purpose. Name changes are a problem, yes (but if your name is changing, there's lots of paperwork you need to do).

Theft or loss cuts both ways. If somebody steals my wallet today, she can show up at the poll next month first thing in the morning, claim to be me, if challenged produce my voter-registration card, and then use my vote before I do. All you really need to vote, at least where I live, is to be able to supply a name and matching address and not look suspicious. In smaller districts you can count on the poll-worker knowing people, but not in the city.

From the comments here it sounds like there are enough issues that eliminating voter registration as an obstacle wouldn't work. Oh well.