Oops, I completely forgot to register
But evidence is mounting that it is the last point — the fact that people move — that is key, and that past assumptions about why tenants don't vote may be incorrect.
Political scientists who have been re-evaluating reams of voting data have found that whether a tenant votes is less about political will and more about the cumbersome and at times elusive process of registering.
Think about it: The last time you moved, which tenants obviously do far more frequently than homeowners, at exactly what point in the unpacking process did you jump and say: "I've got to go re-register to vote at my new address!"
"Registration itself is really the red tape and the stumbling block right now," says Liz Kennedy, a counsel with Demos, a public policy research group that advances voter rights. "There are so many different jurisdictions that administer elections that a lot of this can be perhaps somewhat tricky to navigate."
It isn't until an election draws near that many people even remember that they need to re-register at their new address. Then it's up to them to find out how, where and by when. Recent, tighter voter ID laws present further complications, while threatening to disenfranchise millions of elderly, minority and low-income citizens.
