Photo credit: Getty Images
Long lines at the polls, not owning a driver’s license or transportation issues are all common obstacles that eligible voters run into during voter registration. These obstacles sometimes discourage eligible voters from registering and can misrepresent populations during an election.
One population that has been most misrepresented nationally is the Rising American Electorate (RAE), according to Page Gardner, president and founder of Voter Participation Center (VPC). Comprised of young people aged 18-34, people of color and unmarried women, the RAE under-register and under-vote.
“Voter turnout is going to be off the charts this year, because people know the future of our democracy is at stake,” said Page Gardner in a press release. “The high interest in this election means we have a major opportunity to close the gap on voter registration and make sure the electorate is as representative as the country as a whole. That’s why it’s critical to register and make sure your registration is up to date.”
VPC and its sister organization Center for Voter Information recently mailed the highest number of registration applications to 401,124 eligible voters in Wisconsin. The mailing included a pre-addressed envelope to make the registration process easier. “Wisconsin is a key state and has a lot of very important races in federal and local elections. We want to make sure as many people who can vote, do vote,” says Gardner.
Wanting the RAE presence to be larger, VPC mailed applications because the RAE typically move in between elections. VPC used commercial and public data to find the correct addresses to send the mailings. “I think that the most important thing is if they get an application from VPC, is to fill it out right away. The urgency is there,” says Gardner. “[We want to] narrow the gap between eligible voters and those who do vote.”
Other Wisconsin organizations, like Wisconsin Voices, are also encouraging the RAE to register for the upcoming elections with a new digital application, according to Dana Schultz, executive director of Wisconsin Voices. Mailing reminders can miss some eligible voters because addresses can be difficult to find. Schultz thinks there is a need for meeting people in person. “Meeting people at events, at locations and just saying we want to make sure you’re registered to vote, it’s a proactive offering of that service. A lot of times, it sparks the conversation of when is the next election,” says Schultz.
|
|
The digital application allows eligible voters to register in a much easier, user-friendly system. After an eligible voter registers through the application, Wisconsin Voices will securely mail the information to the Wisconsin state clerk, making sure the person is registered in the state site. According to Schultz, Wisconsin Voices wants to make the registration process as easy as possible, removing any logistical obstacles that eligible voters might find.
“We just went to great lengths to make sure that we are a technology that doesn’t put people’s personal information at risk and also allows us to identify registered or not registered and then follow up to become registered,” says Schultz.
There are different ways to register in Wisconsin. For those who can’t register online or at the polls, they must mail in their personal information to one of the 1,850 municipal clerks in Wisconsin. Wanting to empower eligible voters in Wisconsin, Schultz thinks that providing all the information on voter registration and assistance will get more voters to the polls for the upcoming election. “We think it’s a strong democracy when people participate at high levels, especially at least at the level that they show up in the state,” says Schultz.
According to the publication, “Characteristics of Voters in the Presidential Election of 2016,” the highest reason for eligible voters to not register in Wisconsin was because they were not involved in politics or were not interested in the election. Other reasons included not meeting registration deadlines or not being eligible to vote. The Wisconsin Voter ID law, which requires every eligible voter to bring a driver’s license to register to vote, can also discourage individuals who are out-of-state students, who don’t drive, who live with disabilities or who simply don’t own a license.
“It’s that long list of specifics that gets overwhelming and intimidating, and our mission is to say, ‘Nope, voting is easy,’” says Schultz.
At the polls, the RAE finds barriers that can make voting difficult, according to Gardner. Single moms sometimes cannot afford to take a day off work to vote, or they could be fined for daycare if they are delayed at the polls in picking up their child. The RAE are more at risk to live below the poverty line, and they are less likely to own a home, according to the VPC. Other difficulties the RAE may face are registration and transportation problems, traveling out of town during elections, inconvenient hours at the polling place or lines at the polls are too long, according to Gardner.
“When someone is feeling like, ‘Yeah, I guess I’ll vote,’ and then they see how hard it is or they don’t think they have the right thing, they might just skip it. That is our number one issue,” says Schultz.
According to Schultz, registering is just the first part of the process and Wisconsin Voices also follows-up with registered voters to remind them to vote when elections are near.
“I think the goal is to make voting simple, to understand the ways voters can register. New voting laws are intentionally trying to make it more complicated, and we say we’re not going to stand for that. We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that everyone who is motivated and eligible can vote,” says Schultz.
