Electronic(or Online) Voter Registration

Last updated May 8, 2013

UPDATE:  Governors in Virginia and West Virginia have signed online registration bills in 2013, bringing to 17 the total number of states with laws providing for paperless, online voter registration. And in New Mexico, Governor Susana Martinez signed HB 497, permitting voters to update existing registration records electronically, and HB 225, clarifying that voter registration in the Motor Vehicle Division offices or field offices will be conducted so that the applicant completes the full certificate of registration electronically and that the digital signature to affixed to the certificate of registration will be in conformance with the Electronic Authentication of Documents Act (EADA) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA).

Twelve states currently offer online paperless voter registration; scroll down for the complete list. Five additional states -- Connecticut, Georgia,  Hawaii and now Virginia and West Virginia -- have passed legislation facilitating online voter registration, but they have not yet begun registering voters electronically. And in New Mexico, beginning July 1, 2014, voters who are already registered will be able to update their records electronically. Arizona led the way with this innovation in 2002.  Washington followed with authorizing legislation in 2007 and implementation in 2008.  In most cases, the states rely on digitized signatures already on file with divisions of motor vehicles.

New York implemented a system in 2012 that is paperless from the voter's perspective, but isn't a fully automated system.  The registration form can be filled out online, and then submitted electronically to the Department of Motor Vehicles. There, an electronic copy of the voter's signature is affixed, and a paper copy is printed and sent on for processing and review before the voter is added to the statewide voter registration database.  See New York's  MyDMV.

Security for online voter registration issues is anessential element of system design. Read this interview with cybersecurity expert, J. Alex Halderman, as he talks about security for online registration.

Arizona Reports Success with Electronic Voter Registration

Arizona first implemented online voter registration in 2002, and has reported success with their program.  The secretary of state reports that over 70 percent of all voter registrations are now performed online, and that the state saw an increase of 9.5 percent in voter registrations from 2002 to 2004 with the implementation of online registration. 

Arizona also reports cost savings by eliminating the data entry process for state and county employees that a paper-based system requires, as well as increased accuracy in its voter rolls. The costs associated with a paper registration were 83 cents, while the cost of an online registration was 3 cents, according to the 2010 report, Online Voter Registration: Case Studies in Arizona and Washington.

Online voter registrations require a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number, and the inclusion of these data in all online registration allows for quick and accurate checks for duplicate records. For more details on online voter registration, see the June 2011 issue of NCSL's elections newsletter, The Canvass. 

States with Online Voter Registration

• Arizona -- implemented in 2002; see EZ Voter Registration
• California -- passed in 2011 (S 397); see Secretary of State
• Colorado -- passed in 2009 (HB 1160); see Go Vote Colorado
• Connecticut -- passed in 2012 (H5024); not implemented yet
• Delaware*
• Georgia -- passed in 2012 (SB 92); not implemented yet
• Hawaii -- passed in 2012 (HB 1755); not implemented yet
• Indiana -- passed in 2009 (HB 1346); see IndianaVoters.gov
• Kansas -- implemented in 2009; see Vote Kansas
• Louisiana -- passed in 2009 (HB 520); see Geaux Vote
• Maryland -- passed in 2011 (HB 740); see Maryland State Board of Elections
• Nevada -- implemented in 2012; see Online Voter Registration
• New Mexico -- passed legislation in 2013 allowing voters to update existing records electronically (HB 497); not implemented yet
• Oregon -- passed in 2009 (HB 2386); see OreStar
• South Carolina--passed in 2012 (HB 4945); see South Carolina Votes
• Utah -- passed in 2009 (SB 25); see Office of the Lt. Governor 
• Virginia -- passed in 2013 (HB 2341); not implemented yet
• Washington -- passed in 2007 (HB 1528); see Online Voter Registration
• West Virginia -- passed in 2013 (SB 477) not implemented yet

2013 Legislation

• Arkansas -- HB 1650
• Illinois -- HB 2886, SB 1707 and SB 2370
• Massachusetts -- HB 581, HB 634 and SB 313
• Michigan -- SB 28
• Missouri -- HB 232
• Montana -- HB 557 and SB 206 (both failed)
• New Jersey -- A 2870 (passed the Assembly 10/19/2012), S 2168 and S 2170
• New Mexico -- HB 225 (enacted) and HB 497 (permits voters to update existing records electronically) (enacted)
• New York -- A 149, A 187, S 619 and S 1991
• North Carolina -- HB 102, HB 633, HB 689, SB 298 and SB 688
• Ohio -- HB 78 and SB 20
• Oregon -- HB 2017 (allows electors who do not have an Oregon driver's license or ID to update existing registration records electronically)
• Pennsylvania -- SB 37 (passed the Senate 4/17/2013)
• Texas -- HB 216, HB 313 and SB 315 (passed the Senate 4/22/2013)
• Virginia -- HB 2341 (enacted)
• West Virginia -- HB 2865 and SB 477 (enacted)

For More Information

 To learn more about online voter registration, contact NCSL's elections staff at 303-364-7700.