“Same Day Registration” (SDR) allows eligible citizens to register and vote on or before Election Day. In doing so, SDR greatly enhances the opportunity for Americans to participate in the electoral process and cast a ballot that will be properly counted. States that allow for Same Day Registration consistently lead the nation in voter turnout. Nine states and the District of Columbia currently have Same Day Registration.
TOP FACTS:
Over 1 million Americans used Same Day Registration to vote on or before November 4, 2008. The top five voter turnout states were all SDR states – Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Iowa.
SDR assists young voters and enfranchises geographically mobile and lower-income citizens. Americans move frequently, especially low-income households, and SDR allows those who have moved recently to re-register and vote on Election Day.
SDR allows eligible voters who may have been mistakenly purged from the voting rolls to cast a meaningful ballot. Nearly one-third of the 1.7 million provisional ballots cast in the 2008 presidential election were ultimately discounted.
SDR is cost-effective and easier for elections officials to administer than provisional ballots.
SDR gives voters more time to learn and gain interest about the candidates and issues. Voter registration deadlines close before the media and the public fully focus on elections.
