PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) has just released a 37-page study of voter registration. It recommends that the United States switch to a system in which voters are registered automatically, an idea already in place in Canada. PIRG hopes to eventually have such a bill introduced in Congress.
The study highlights how much tax money is spent now on voter registration, and makes the case that automatic registration would save tax dollars.
The idea will be difficult to implement. There is no single government database that tells who is a citizen and who is not. Also it is not easy, in states which bar ex-felons from registering, to know about that variable. And because 29 states ask voters to choose a party on the voter registration form, even if automatic registration were implemented, there would be extra work involved in handling that question. Also, if the database is based on residence, that leaves the problems of homeless people, and also makes it difficult to administer situations in which some people have more than one residence.
Excellent. The old “if it exists in Canada it MUST also be good for the United States” idea. By these standards, we should also have lengthier lists of banned books, as in Canada. We should also have a monarch who tells us when can can and cannot convene and adjourn our congress. Let’s add to that a national sales tax on top of our income tax.
I’ve decided I really like football. I think I will put together a report that says mandatory football playing and watching would be good for everyone. I will ask Congress to pass a law backing my opinion. Then everyone will be required to play football, watch football, and participate in football pools.
In the meantime, my neighbor may be a devout Druid. He will put together a report that says mandatory tree worship would be good for everyone… and so on…