Last week, the United States Election Assistance Commission released its biennial report on the National Voter Registration Act. It contains a treasure trove of voting statistics. It is available here (caution: large pdf file).
Although the report itself counsels caution when comparing data from state to state and from year to year, many followers of politics will find its information useful to at least get some preliminary insight about where their state compares to national averages and understand what kind of efforts might be needed in their state.
Reading through this information lets people understand what works well in other states, and what kinds of reform to support where they live.
My suggestions about some useful points to consider appear below the fold.
- Pages 15-29: Nationally, the number of registered voters is 81.6 percent of the voting age population (which is all people over age 18, regardless of citizenship or criminal history). How does your State compare? It is low, like Oregon (73.7 percent) or high, like Michigan (98.1 percent)?
- Pages 15-29: Nationally, the percentage of people registered was up in 2008 compared to both the 2004 presidential and 2006 congressional election. Was it up a great deal as in Florida (+ 13.5 percent) or just a little as in Montana (+ 0.1 percent)?
- Page 38-39: Where do most people register to vote in your State? Do most come in from the Internet (as in Arizona), or at motor vehicle agencies (as in Pennsylvania), or elsewhere?
- Same pages: How is your state doing in terms of registering people at social service or disability service agencies? Voter registration services have to be provided at these agencies just like at your motor vehicle department. (Hat tip to Project Vote for their work on this important issue).
- Page 50: Are your state's election administrators rejecting an unusually high number of voter applications?
- Pages 62-63: How does your state compare in terms of how it maintains voter rolls? Is it being too lenient -- or too aggressive -- in making sure people who moved out of state, died, or have a criminal history (if relevant under that state's law), are taken off the rolls, while ensuring that voter purges are free of mistakes?
- Pages 66-67: For states that let people register to vote on Election Day, or register to vote simultaneously with early voting, how do these efforts fare? Are they adding many new voters to the rolls?
I hope you find this information useful.