Updating America’s voting registration & a history of voting rights

Hour 1

When you’ve moved from one state to another and re-registered to vote, do you assume your former state knows you’re no longer showing up at the polls? If you don’t notify your former state, you’re one of almost 2.7 Americans who are registered in two states, according to a new report by the PEW Center for the States’ Election Initiatives. This study highlights voting inefficiencies and includes recommendations to upgrade America’s voting registration by eliminating the number of deceased voters who are still on voting lists, and registering voters online, instead continuing with inconsistent, manual, paper-based, data entry practices. Our guest and author of this report, DAVID BECKER, director of Election Initiatives for the PEW Center for the States, suggests we need to become a more modern, 21^st Century voting nation and embrace new technology. We’ll also talk with ELAINE MANLOVE, the state election commissioner of Delaware, about how she’s seen big cost savings in the last three years since the First State has been using e-signatures in registering voters at the Division of Motor Vehicles. Then Harvard University social policy professor, ALEX KEYSSAR, will join us to discuss the changes and roll-backs in voting rights he’s seen in the last 10 years, including increased limitations to ex-felons, voter ID laws and ending same-day registration.

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Listen:
[audio: 022212_100630.mp3]