Growing trend towards same day registration

The trend towards same day registration continues to grow this week, with the Council of the District of Columbia passing a voter registration reform bill, easing the processes by which people may register and vote in the District. The Omnibus Election Reform Act establishes same day registration, allowing people to register and vote on Election Day and directs the D.C. Board of Elections to study the feasibility of automatic voter registration. These provisions and others--including primary voting for 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the time of the general election and extended hours at polling locations--are expected to boost voter participation rates in the District, which are below the national average. In the 2008 presidential election, D.C. ranked among the 15 states with the lowest voting rates.