`Motor Voter’ at 2 Years: Registration Up by 12 Million

Twelve million new voters were added to the rolls in 43 states and the District of Columbia from January 1995 – September 1996 through the Motor Voter law, implemented in January 1995 through the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). This is the largest numerical increase for a two-year period, exceeding the 1982-84 10 million increase and the 1990-92 11 million increase, according to HumanSERVE, the voter registration advocacy group conducting the survey.
CPA’s 1995 Voter Registration in the States: A 25 State Analysis found that Motor Voter "reshaped the American electorate. It has expanded registration rolls by millions, and enfranchised a whole new segment of society." CPA also found that many states went beyond NVRA requirements by implementing additional voter registration programs such as Kids Voting or EmployeeRegistration and for the disabled, elderly, homeless and non-English speakers.
The Motor Voter law requires citizens be offered the opportunity to register when they get or renew drivers’ licenses, when they apply for benefits in state public assistance agencies and by mail. The states also must allow citizens to register in an additional public agency such as unemployment offices or libraries.
"The public clearly likes the convenience of Motor Voter," said Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro. "We continue to see hundreds of people signing up through the Motor Voter every working day."