Will same-day registration help Democrats?
Party chairs don't think new rules will have much impact
By Fred Love, Journal Des Moines bureau | Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
DES MOINES -- Iowans can register to vote the same day they go to the polls Nov. 4 to elect a new president.
It's the first general election since the same-day voting option was made available in Iowa, and that could tip the scales in the favor of Democratic candidates, said Dennis Goldford, professor of politics at Drake University.
To register on Election Day, Iowans must show up to the polls with photo identification and a document proving they live in that voting precinct.
Republicans tend to register and vote at higher rates than Democrats, which means GOP candidates will have fewer unregistered voters to reach out to, Goldford said. He said Democrats generally argue that same-day registration makes voting more accessible for all citizens, while Republicans often condemn the policy because they say it opens up the possibility of fraud.
Nathan Treloar, communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa, said he doesn't think same-day registration will inspire many new voters to turn out because it still requires citizens to find the correct polling place and register before they can cast a ballot.
That could be enough to deter citizens who aren't sure if they'll vote in this election, he said.
"It's not going through a drive-through," he said.
Treloar said the Republican Party of Iowa will assign volunteers to monitor polling locations on Election Day to make sure the new regulations are followed.
Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, a Democrat, said Monday that Iowa's new same-day voter registration rules won't benefit one party over another in November's general election.
"The rules weren't made to benefit a particular party," he said. "It doesn't say just Democrats can register on Election Day."
Mauro said more than 90 percent of eligible Iowans have registered to vote already, so there will be relatively few voters who will need to register at the last minute. He predicted that voters who have changed addresses recently will make up most of the Election Day registrants.
The rules applied for the first time in a statewide election during party primaries in June, but Mauro said same-day registration didn't spark a significant increase in turnout for those elections. Mauro still encourages voters to register in advance to avoid having to fill out all the paperwork on Election Day.
"It's a presidential election year, so it's going to be big," he said.
Fred Love can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or fred.love@lee.net.
It's the first general election since the same-day voting option was made available in Iowa, and that could tip the scales in the favor of Democratic candidates, said Dennis Goldford, professor of politics at Drake University.
To register on Election Day, Iowans must show up to the polls with photo identification and a document proving they live in that voting precinct.
Republicans tend to register and vote at higher rates than Democrats, which means GOP candidates will have fewer unregistered voters to reach out to, Goldford said. He said Democrats generally argue that same-day registration makes voting more accessible for all citizens, while Republicans often condemn the policy because they say it opens up the possibility of fraud.
Nathan Treloar, communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa, said he doesn't think same-day registration will inspire many new voters to turn out because it still requires citizens to find the correct polling place and register before they can cast a ballot.
That could be enough to deter citizens who aren't sure if they'll vote in this election, he said.
"It's not going through a drive-through," he said.
Treloar said the Republican Party of Iowa will assign volunteers to monitor polling locations on Election Day to make sure the new regulations are followed.
Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, a Democrat, said Monday that Iowa's new same-day voter registration rules won't benefit one party over another in November's general election.
"The rules weren't made to benefit a particular party," he said. "It doesn't say just Democrats can register on Election Day."
Mauro said more than 90 percent of eligible Iowans have registered to vote already, so there will be relatively few voters who will need to register at the last minute. He predicted that voters who have changed addresses recently will make up most of the Election Day registrants.
The rules applied for the first time in a statewide election during party primaries in June, but Mauro said same-day registration didn't spark a significant increase in turnout for those elections. Mauro still encourages voters to register in advance to avoid having to fill out all the paperwork on Election Day.
"It's a presidential election year, so it's going to be big," he said.
Fred Love can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or fred.love@lee.net.
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H wrote on Aug 19, 2008 2:31 PM:
five reasons to vote democrat wrote on Aug 19, 2008 9:10 AM: