[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[July 2, 1992]
[Page 1072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1072]]

Message to the Senate Returning Without Approval the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1992

July 2, 1992
To the Senate of the United States:
    I am returning herewith without my approval S. 250, the ``National 
Voter Registration Act of 1992.''
    This Administration strongly supports the goal of increasing 
participation in the electoral process. We have worked with leaders of 
both parties in an attempt to produce legislation that would accomplish 
that purpose. S. 250, however, would impose unnecessary, burdensome, 
expensive, and constitutionally questionable Federal regulation on the 
States in an area of traditional State authority. It would also expose 
the election process to an unacceptable risk of fraud and corruption 
without any reason to believe that it would increase electoral 
participation to any significant degree.
    No justification has been demonstrated for the extensive procedural 
requirements--and significant related costs--imposed on the States by 
this bill. The proponents of S. 250 simply have not made the case that 
requiring the States to make voter registration easier will translate 
into increased voter participation at the polls. Indeed, a recent study 
by the Federal Election Commission suggests that registration 
requirements have no significant effect on participation rates. In 
addition, to the extent that State registration requirements 
discriminate against minority groups, the Voting Rights Act already 
provides an adequate remedy.
    S. 250 would exempt from compliance with its requirements any State 
adopting an election day registration system. This exemption could 
create a compelling incentive for a State to adopt such a system, under 
which verification of voter eligibility is difficult. Thus, the bill 
would increase substantially the risk of voting fraud. It would not, 
however, provide sufficient authority for Federal law enforcement 
officials to respond to any resulting increases in election crime and 
public corruption.
    It is critical that the States retain the authority to tailor voter 
registration procedures to unique local circumstances. S. 250 would 
prevent the States from doing this by forcing them to implement 
federally mandated and nationally standardized voter registration 
procedures. It would also restrict severely their ability to remove from 
the voter rolls the names of persons who have not voted in several years 
and who thus can be presumed fairly to have died or moved out of the 
jurisdiction. Enactment of S. 250 would deny the States their historic 
freedom to govern their own electoral processes and would contravene the 
important principles of federalism on which our country was founded.
    S. 250 is constitutionally suspect. Although the Supreme Court has 
recognized that the Congress has general power to regulate Federal 
elections to the extent necessary to prevent fraud and preserve the 
integrity of the electoral process, there has been no suggestion that S. 
250 would serve that goal. Nor has there been any showing that the bill 
is necessary to eliminate discriminatory practices. Accordingly, there 
is a serious constitutional question whether the Congress has the power 
to enact this legislation.
    I support legislation that would assist the States in implementing 
appropriate reforms in order to make voter registration easier for the 
American public. I cannot, however, accept legislation that imposes an 
unnecessary and costly Federal regime on the States and that is, in 
addition, an open invitation to fraud and corruption.
    For the reasons discussed above, I am returning S. 250 without my 
approval.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
July 2, 1992.