Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said starting Tuesday it is making it easier for someone to register to vote when they are getting or renewing a driver’s license in Pennsylvania.

Under the new format, prompts on the computer screens in driver’s license centers will take the user to a template to register to vote. That leaves it up to them to choose not to register. Previously, prompts on the computer screen first asked the user whether they wanted to register to vote.

Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C., already have varying models of what is called “automatic voter registration,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

  • M500
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    1 year ago

    Why do we even need to register to vote, shouldn’t every adult be allowed to vote?

    And yes, I think people who commit felonies should be allowed to vote.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’ll go further. I think the U.S. should be like Australia. Voting should be compulsory. You can return a blank ballot if you like, but you have to return a ballot.

    • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I believe voter registration enables making sure that each citizen only votes once. It’s not that you’re barred from voting, it’s more for tallying and preventing multiple casts.

      • XTornado
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        1 year ago

        That’s because there isn’t a national id and not everybody has an SSN?

        In any case they could accept an SSN at least without having been registered. And for the rest that don’t have one keep the register.

        • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          The difference is that not every state requires an SSN to obtain a driver’s license, and voter registration is granted provided you’re a citizen. An SSN is typically provided at birth or with granting of citizenship, but an individual or their parents have to apply for one (I think). Also too, resident noncitizens that work in the US are supposed to get an SSN for IRS reporting purposes. This is why SSNs aren’t typically considered a citizenship document.

  • NotBadAndYou@ttrpg.network
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    1 year ago

    Oregon here: Welcome to the club! Now you just need to work on mail-in voting, and you’ll be living the good great life!