[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E7]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               REPEAL THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT

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                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I am again introducing legislation to repeal 
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the so-called ``motor 
voter'' bill.
  The law went into effect on January 1, 1995. It requires States to 
establish voter registration procedures to allow individuals to 
register to vote through the mail and when they are conducting other 
government-related business, such as applying for a driver's license or 
at certain public assistance agencies.
  Supporters of motor voter have argued that easing voter registration 
requirements would invigorate voter turnouts. However, as last year's 
elections clearly displayed, the law did not meet its goal. Although 
massive numbers of new voters were placed on the rolls under motor 
voter, they did not take the initiative to cast their ballots. In fact, 
a mere 49 percent of eligible Americans voted, the lowest voter turnout 
since 1924. More than 90 million registered voters failed to vote.
  While voter apathy under motor voter is unsettling, there is another, 
more compelling, reason to rethink the soundness of the law. It has 
allowed for voter fraud on a national scale. The law does not contain a 
provision to preclude illegal registration and voting. Moreover, motor 
voter creates obstacles for State election officials who are dedicated 
to maintaining the accuracy of their voter rolls. It requires States to 
keep registrants who fail to vote or who are unresponsive to voter 
registration correspondence to be maintained on voter registration 
rolls for years. As a result, children, cats, dogs, a pig, deceased 
people, and noncitizens registered to vote. In North Carolina, thanks 
to motor voter, a 14-year-old boy registered and voted. Mr. Speaker, 
participation in the electoral process is one of our most precious 
rights of citizenship. We should not make a mockery of voting by 
unnecessarily exposing it to fraud.
  The National Voter Registration Act is nothing more than a costly and 
dispensable Federal mandate on the States. The States carry the 
responsibility of administering all elections. They should, therefore, 
be allowed to exercise their discretion over registration procedures 
free of unwarranted Federal intervention.
  Motor voter has been tested and it failed miserably. I strongly 
encourage my colleagues to join me in repealing the law.

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