Automatic voter registration gives eligible individuals the opportunity to be automatically registered to vote when interacting with certain government agencies, such as a department of motor vehicles. Information gathered from participating agencies is transmitted to election officials, who use it to either create a new voter record or update an existing registration. This process is not one of compulsion, individuals may choose to opt out of registration during their transaction at the agency, or later by returning a mailer, depending on the state.

Automatic voter registration has removed many barriers to registration for eligible voters, a step that has seen increased voter participation in many states. By registering through a routine and necessary transaction such as those at the DMV, voters won’t have to worry about registration deadlines or application submissions. 

Automatic registration can also help with list maintenance and the unnecessary need to purge voter rolls. This process updates existing registrations with current addresses. While many states have enacted this legislation a federal statue would protect the rights of many and create a universal system and see drastic increases to voter turnout.