Automatic Voter Registration

Citizens want governments to make their lives simpler. At Responsive Gov, we believe governments should use available technologies to reduce unnecessary burdens and logistical headaches borne by individual citizens. To do this, governments can look to “Nudge Theory,” a concept of behavioral economics that encourages the use of thoughtful design choices—called “nudges”—to ensure that people can easily locate and select their preferred option.

Responsive Gov provides an analysis of a white paper written by Vanessa Williamson, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. The paper assesses options for using state income tax data for voter registration or updating existing voter registration records. Click here to see Responsive Gov's analysis and the full paper by Williamson.

Public colleges and universities have a tremendous opportunity to modernize the way they provide students with voter registration information and services, including adopting Automatic Voter Registration. This report explores what PCUs should consider to ensure optimal voter registration efforts.