The Independent View: Cities Bypassing States to Explore Registering New Voters

National groups, in search of Voting Rights Laws that could be pursued in Republican-controlled States, have taken notice of the potential for City-by-City Reforms.

The Center for Popular Democracy, a National Progressive group connected to Advocacy Organizations in 38 States, issued a Report Friday geared toward Educating potential Partners on what Voting Reforms Cities can pursue.

CLICK HERE to read the 28 page (pdf) Report.

The Report shows how Local Reforms in Five States, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin, — could add Hundreds of Thousands of Voters to the Rolls through the efforts of City Officials and School Boards. For example, Hundreds of Thousands of People could be Registered in Public Agencies across Four Cities in Texas, and Tens of Thousands of High School Students could be Registered Annually in Florida, the Report found.

Registering Voters has been a focus of Local Organizers for decades. And a few Cities, notably New York, have worked for years to pioneer Voter Registration solutions at the Local Level.

But Lobbying Local Leaders to make it easier for City and County Residents to Register to Vote is a relatively new push, one gaining steam following the 2016 Presidential Election as Activists became tired of waiting for Opportunities to reverse State-Level Voter Suppression Laws.

The Local Reforms largely focus on Registering Younger and Minority Voters. Nationwide, only 26% of White eligible Voters are not Registered, according to U.S. Census Data. More than 42% of Latinos are not Registered to Vote and 43% of Asians. Nearly 31% of Blacks are Unregistered.

While some Voting Rights Advocates argue these Reforms should not be Partisan, but they admit there is a clear Motivation for Democrats to Support these Proposals. And at the City Level, there are Democratic Mayors in 63 of America’s 100 Largest Cities, including in States held by Republicans.

While some Voting Rights Advocates argue these Reforms should not be Partisan, but they admit there is a clear Motivation for Democrats to Support these Proposals. And at the City Level, there are Democratic Mayors in 63 of America’s 100 largest Cities, including in States held by Republicans.