California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) on Saturday signed a bill that will automatically register voters, which was sent to him by the Democratic-controlled state legislature in September.
Since there are between 6 and 7 million Californians who remain unregistered to vote, voting rights advocates see the measure as a way to save money, boost security and reduce barriers to participation in elections. The state experienced record low turnout for a regularly scheduled general election last November, in which just 42 percent of Californians who were registered voted.
Brown had until Oct. 11 to either sign or reject the California New Motor Voter Act.
"In a free society, the right to vote is fundamental," said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who had sponsored the bill, in a statement. "I applaud Governor Brown for his leadership and bold action to increase voter participation in our state."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/automatic-voter-registration-california_561680d5e4b0082030a15119
Since there are between 6 and 7 million Californians who remain unregistered to vote, voting rights advocates see the measure as a way to save money, boost security and reduce barriers to participation in elections. The state experienced record low turnout for a regularly scheduled general election last November, in which just 42 percent of Californians who were registered voted.
Brown had until Oct. 11 to either sign or reject the California New Motor Voter Act.
"In a free society, the right to vote is fundamental," said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who had sponsored the bill, in a statement. "I applaud Governor Brown for his leadership and bold action to increase voter participation in our state."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/automatic-voter-registration-california_561680d5e4b0082030a15119
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