California Motor Voter Act Could Diversify And Expand Electorate

The study from the Public Policy Institute of California shows the Motor Voter Act could diversify and increase the electorate. But a lot of that depends on how it's implemented. 

The Motor Voter Act is designed to increase registration by ensuring information collected at the Department of Motor Vehicles is electronically transferred to the secretary of state.

DMV customers would have to opt out if they do not want to register. The PPIC study shows the law, which goes into effect next year, could diversify the electorate and add more than two million people to the rolls – a 10 percent increase.

The PPIC report recommends that DMV customers be required to affirm their voting eligibility before completing any DMV transactions, rather than giving customers the option of not answering at all.

The report also says asking DMV customers to use a separate computer to identify their language and party preference might be a voting obstacle.

The study’s authors say the law could make the population of registered voters younger, more diverse, poorer and less educated. The electorate would be far more representative of the population eligible to vote.