Authors R. Michael Alvarez (California Institute of Technology) and Jonathan Nagler (New York University) have analyzed the likely impact on voter turnout should Maryland adopt Same Day Registration (SDR). Under the system proposed in Maryland, eligible voters who miss the current 21-day deadline for registering may be able to register to vote during the state's 7-day early voting period, or on Election Day.
The availability of Same Day Registration procedures should give voters who have not previously registered the opportunity to vote. Consistent with existing research on the impact of SDR in the other states that use this process, the authors find that SDR would likely lead to substantial increases in voter turnout. They offer the following voter turnout estimates for Maryland under SDR:
- Overall turnout could go up by 4.3 percent.
- Turnout among those aged 18 to 25 could increase by 9.1 percent.
- Turnout for those who have moved in the last six months could increase by 7.2 percent.
