Online Voter Registration

Republicans are determined to bring back the good old days of Jim Crow and poll taxes.  Five million eligible voters could lose their voting rights because of countless new Voter Suppression laws — written by ALEC and rubber-stamped by state legislators.  Other states (e.g. Florida) are even cracking down on voter registration drives.

What ever will we do?

Checkmate.

Yesterday House Democrats introduced the Voter Empowerment Act, which would allow online voter registration for all U.S. citizens.  People could register online and update their information online as needed (change of address, etc.).  Citizens would also be able to receive voting information via e-mail instead of snail mail.

The Voter Empowerment Act was sponsored by Rep. John Lewis (D—Georgia), who said:

“The ability to vote should be easy, accessible and simple.  Yet there are practices and laws in place that make it harder to vote today than it was even one year ago. The sponsors of this act believe we need to take action or risk losing the liberties we have enjoyed. We should be moving toward a more inclusive democracy, not one that locks people out…In this age of technology, our country is moving backward, not forward.  People died for the right to vote, and some of them were people I knew. I hope and pray we do not return to the days of overt discrimination before we decide to do something about it.”

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Robert Brady (D—PA) said:

“This bill ensures that everyone — seniors, the disabled, working families, students and our military can register to vote.  It makes registering to vote simpler, faster, and more secure for each and every American. The Voter Empowerment Act reaffirms the basic principle our democracy: one person, one vote.”

This proposed law also establishes a national hotline where people can report registration or voting problems.

If Republicans try to defeat this bill, President Obama should issue an executive order to get this done.