More Americans need to participate in our democracy. That’s why it is so important to ensure that all eligible Americans who want to register to vote and cast a ballot are able to do so.  To support these efforts, the ACLU’s Let People Vote campaign is working to advance election reforms in every state. Two reforms – online voter registration and early voting – would make a big difference in increasing access to the ballot if carried out nationwide.

Online Voter Registration

In 2002, Arizona became the first state in the nation to allow individuals to register to vote online. Today, 36 states and the District of Columbia offer online voter registration, and an additional two states have passed legislation to create an online voter registration system. Online registration has become very popular with voters in recent elections. In 2012, only 5 percent of the nation’s total registrations were received online. In 2016, online registrations accounted for 17.4 percent of total registrations.

For state elections officials, the benefits of online voter registration systems are many. Paper-based registration systems are costly and time consuming for election officials. According to a 2014 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, online voter registration can offer substantial savings. Adoption of online registration has increased the accuracy of voting rolls, because the systems do not require officials to manually enter information or interpret illegible handwriting. And registering online is a timesaver and more convenient for voters who can complete the form at home rather than going to a government office.

Early Voting

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia allow qualified voters to cast a ballot in person before Election Day without providing an excuse.  On average, early voting begins two to three weeks before Election Day and ends a few days before Election Day, but dates vary from state to state.  During the 2016 election, 22 percent of all voters in the nation participated in early voting.

States with early voting are already seeing many benefits. Early voting makes it far more convenient for people who have to juggle work, commutes, military deployment, education, childcare and other commitments to cast their ballot when it fits into their schedule.  It reduces the length of the lines at polling places on Election Day. And early voting can allow for better training of poll workers by stretching out voting days as well as reduce their stress on Election Day.

Join a Let People Vote Event Near You