Same Day Voter Registration

October 1, 2021

Yesterday, the Star-Ledger Editorial Board published an editorial endorsing same day voter registration! 

"Should voter registration be arduous and time-consuming? Actually, no" argues that New Jersey has made great progress passing voting reforms that make voting more accessible, but "the only job left undone is rounding up those who haven’t had the chance to register."

We agree. Because of the advocacy of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, our partners, and you - NJ advocates making your voices heard - New Jersey has passed automatic voter registration, in-person early voting, online voter registration, and restored voting rights to individuals on parole and probation. But if we truly want to be a national leader, we must pass same day voter registration. We have partnered with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice to launch Democracy in a Day, a campaign to pass same day voter registration in New Jersey.

Join us by making your voice heard. Tell your legislators that you support same day voter registration. 

NJ's arbitrary 21 day voter registration deadline disenfranchises people every election. 20 states and DC already have same day registration and it's time we join them. Same day is secure, and is proven to increase voter turnout - as much as a 10 percentage point increase for 18-24 year-olds. 

And this recent report finds that "Black voter turnout is on average 2-17 percentage points higher in SDR than in non-SDR states" and "Latinx voters in SDR states turned out at rates that were on average 0.1-17.5 percentage points higher than Latinx voters in similar non-SDR states studied."

As I write this, our team is hard at work organizing support for same day voter registration. Momentum is building, but we need you to help us ensure same day voter registration becomes a reality in our state. Contact your legislators, donate to support this work, and if you want to get more involved, contact Assatta Mann, League of Women Voters of New Jersey Community Organizer, at amann@lwvnj.org for volunteer opportunities. 

Thank you for your work fighting for a more inclusive and accessible democracy.

Best Wishes,

Jesse Burns, Executive Director

League of Women Voters of New Jersey