Every four years, American citizens face a huge responsibility: choosing the next U.S. president. Yet voter turnout has been low for decades. In the 2016 presidential election, for example, only about 60 percent of eligible voters cast
How can we get more Americans to participate in our democracy? One key way, some people say, would be making it easier to register to vote.
To cast a ballot, Americans need to have registered in advance—in some states, months beforehand. In most cases, people can register online at vote.gov, through the mail, or in person at a state government
Instead of putting that burden on citizens, a few states have started automatically registering people to vote when they apply for a driver’s license through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Supporters of this system say that it’s fast and easy—and should be adopted nationwide.
But opponents of expanding the use of automatic voter registration across the country argue that it won’t fix low voter turnout. Being registered, they say, is no guarantee that people will actually make the effort to vote.
Should more states implement automatic voter registration? Two experts weigh in.