Brennan Center for Justice

The nation’s broken voter registration system is a chief cause of long lines and Election Day chaos. Many states rely on a blizzard of paper records that are rife with error while leaving out eligible voters. The Brennan Center’s signature proposal to modernize voting would harness proven technology to ensure that every eligible voter is permanently registered. The move would add 50 million to the rolls, cost less, and curb the potential for fraud. Already, 43 states and the District of Columbia — without fanfare or partisan wrangling — have implemented important elements of the plan.

In 2013, Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.), James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), re-introduced federal proposals based on the Center’s plan. Movement is also happening in the states. Colorado passed a broad-based modernization bill, Florida and Maryland both expanded early voting, and Virginia and West Virginia instituted online registration.

See a full rundown of new bills to increase voting access and more on modernization in the states.

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