Pennsylvania to start automatic voter registration

Pennsylvania is introducing automatic voter registration ahead of a pivotal 2024 election cycle, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced on Tuesday.

Eligible voters will now be automatically opted into the voter registration process when renewing or receiving new ID cards or drivers licenses.

Under the previous system, eligible voters needed to personally opt into the process to become a registered voter in the state.

Those who do not want to be registered to vote in the state can opt out of the process.

Pennsylvania becomes the 24th state to use automatic voter registration, and Shapiro’s office in a release noted that it’s a practice that both Democratic-led and Republican-led states have used, including in West Virginia, Georgia and Delaware.

Shapiro’s office suggests that the state will gain tens of thousands of registered voters, according to The Washington Post.

“Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars,” Shapiro said in a statement upon the announcement. “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.”

Pennsylvania is one of a handful of swing states that has played a critical role in determining presidential elections. Former President Trump won the state in 2016 but lost it to President Biden in 2020. 

Automatic voter registration is seen as a key tool for voter turnout given that elections in states like Pennsylvania have been determined by narrow margins.