Ah, the Internet. Who doesn't love a place where you can buy groceries, pay your cable bill, trade stocks, order a new summer wardrobe, apply for a loan, and gamble all from the comfort of your own Wi-Fi-connected home? Despite its many wonders, there's still one thing you can't do online: register to vote.
There's nothing a gal loves more than a California roll and performing her civic duty
OK...that's not entirely true. Currently, 20 states do allow online voter registration. Two additional states have limited online sign-ups, and five more, along with Washington, D.C., have passed (but not implemented) an online registration system. But now, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is trying to make digital registration the norm with a universal online system. On Monday, the senator introduced the Voter Registration Modernization Act, which would implement a nationwide system and bring online registration to millions of eligible voters. Registering by mail would, of course, remain an option, but making things digital could transform the electoral process.
Why this could a game-changer:
It makes voter registration quick and easy. No more excuses, all you 62 million eligible voters who are still unregistered.
It saves states millions—in Arizona, the individual cost per online registration rang in at 3 cents compared with 83 cents per paper registration (via the National Conference of State Legislatures).
It allows voters to update their voting records online, should they change address or political party.
It makes registration easier for people who might be otherwise disenfranchised. Under Gillibrand's law, all eligible voters would be allowed to register regardless of whether they have a state-issued ID. This means people who are less likely to have such identification—young people, minorities, senior citizens, and low-income voters—will have the opportunity to register and access their records online.
What could possibly go wrong:
Hello, have you met the little elephant in the room called "potential voter fraud"?
Remember when healthcare.gov first launched? There is a possibility that a universal online voter registration could experience rollout problems
An online system could be viewed as a potential barrier to entry for lower-income voters or voters in rural areas.
With sensitive personal information—Social Security numbers, home addresses, birth dates—it could be a hotbed for hacking.
Does your state allow online registration? If so, has your experience with it been like? What are your thoughts on creating a nationwide system?
PS: Be sure to check out our Q&A with Senator Gillibrand (and take her career advice).