These States Are Actually Considering Ways To Make Voting More Convenient

WASHINGTON — November’s midterm election meant grappling with new voter identification requirements, cutbacks to early voting and the elimination of same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting in several states, but advocates are cautiously optimistic that 2015 could be an improvement for voting rights.

Last cycle’s voter turnout, about 36 percent, was estimated to be the lowest since 1940, but changes that could make voting more convenient — like online registration — might help mitigate some of the barriers from laws that restrict access. Twenty states of varying political inclinations offered online registration as of December, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

And yet, efforts to expand access are likely to face resistance from legislators — often Republicans — who say such measures are prone to voter fraud. In one of his last actions in office, former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signed a bill allowing for Election Day registration, and Minnesotans were able to use no-excuse absentee voting in November. Both developments might not have transpired in the new legislative session: Republicans took over the Minnesota legislature’s lower chamber, and Illinois is now led by a Republican governor, Bruce Rauner.

The Huffington Post