Pennsylvania Is Now An Automatic Voter Registration State
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday that unless they deliberately opt out, eligible residents of the key battleground state will now be automatically registered to vote when they obtain or renew their driver's license or ID, a step that voting rights groups applauded as a win for democracy—and an important counter to right-wing election deniers.
An estimated 8.7 million Pennsylvanians were registered to vote last year but more than 10.3 million were eligible to register, a gap that Shapiro said automatic voter registration (AVR) could help to fill by removing unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.
"Pennsylvania is the birthplace of our democracy, and as governor, I'm committed to ensuring free and fair elections that allow every eligible voter to make their voice heard," said Shapiro, who timed the announcement to coincide with National Voter Registration Day. "Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars."
"Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV—all the information required to register to vote—so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration," he added. "My administration will keep taking innovative actions like this one to make government work better and more efficiently for all Pennsylvanians."