[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to draw to the 
attention of the Senate my concern about declines in recent decades in 
voter participation in local and national elections. In the 1988 
election, only about half of those citizens eligible to vote went to 
the polls. While turnout improved during the last Presidential 
election, voter participation remains low in this country compared to 
other advanced democratic countries. According to the Congressional 
Research Service, only 61 percent of U.S. citizens eligible to vote are 
registered. While there are many reasons why people do not vote, 
studies indicate that the major reason is that they are not registered. 
In fact, the Bureau of Census reports that voter turnout of registered 
voters in Presidential elections typically exceeds 85 percent.
  Recognizing the need to establish uniform national voter registration 
procedures to allow greater opportunities for all eligible citizens to 
participate in the electoral process, the U.S. Congress adopted the 
National Voter Registration Act early in the 103d Congress, legislation 
I was proud to support. The National Voter Registration Act, also known 
as the motor-voter bill, provides greater opportunities for all 
eligible citizens to participate in the electoral process.
  The methods for voter registration established by the legislation--by 
mail, as part of drivers license renewal, and when visiting Government 
agencies--are well tested and successful methods for registering 
voters. And, in fact, States which have implemented the motor-voter 
provisions have experienced significant increases in voter 
registration. About 3,700 voters were registered in Washington State 
within the first 7 days of motor-voter operation. Florida has been 
averaging more than 3,000 new voter registrations per day from people 
obtaining drivers licenses. The successes continue to be documented in 
other States such as Georgia, where more than 18,000 people have been 
registered under the new procedures since January 1, 1995, and in 
Kentucky where 10,000 new voters were registered in the first 10 days 
of implementation. In my own State of Maryland, approximately 90,000 
people have been registered through the Motor Vehicle Administration in 
1995 alone, and Maryland election officials expect an additional 
900,000 citizens to register under the new system.
  While some critics of this legislation have charged that by making 
voter registration easier, there may be increased opportunities for 
fraud, the bill includes important safeguards to prevent such fraud. 
The mail registration form requires a statement of eligibility to vote, 
an attestation that the applicant meets each requirement of eligibility 
to vote, and the signature of the applicant under penalty of perjury.
  Mr. President, there are further misconceptions surrounding this bill 
that should be clarified. First, though agencies are required to 
provide registrants with assistance when requested, the National Voter 
Registration Act does not require agency personnel to fill out 
registration forms--it is the applicant who fills out the form. Second, 
the legislation requires that an applicant be informed that the quality 
and quantity of Government assistance they receive will not be effected 
by their willingness or refusal to register. Third, the legislation 
protects the privacy of the applicant by restricting the use of voter 
registration information. An applicant has the option of completing the 
form at home and returning it by mail, and agency employees may not 
force an individual to register or attempt to persuade an applicant to 
join a particular political party.
  I understand that concerns have also been raised about potential 
additional costs for State and local governments to implement this 
legislation. I would simply note that any increased costs for a State 
to comply with the uniform voter registration standards provided by 
this legislation would be relatively small, particularly in those 
States, such as Maryland, that have already taken steps to increase the 
opportunity for citizens to register to vote. In addition, the 
legislation provides relief to all States in the form of a postal rate 
reduction for State and local election officials which will save State 
and local governments more than $4 million per year. There are also 
expected to be savings through the use of uniform registration forms in 
those States that have not yet adopted uniformity between jurisdictions 
and because voter registration is now likely to be spread out over the 
year as people renew drivers licenses. Consequently, there will be less 
need to hire additional registrars to handle the higher volume of 
registration that typically occurs in some States before registration 
deadlines.
  Mr. President, it is my strongly held view that we must be careful 
about attaching price tags to civil rights. Imagine if we had decided 
not to extend the right to vote to 18-year-olds, women, or other 
minorities because it would place a burden on the States due to an 
increased workload or the purchasing of new voting machines. The 
National Voter Registration Act is already making it easier for 
citizens to exercise one of the most fundamental rights of a 
democracy--the right to vote. A healthy democracy thrives on the active 
participation of the governed.
  This important new law is clearly working and should not be repealed 
nor should its implementation be delayed as some have proposed.


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