Documenting Trends in Online Voter Registration

Article Read time:
Projects: Election Initiatives
Documenting Trends in Online Voter Registration

Pew released a report today, based on a survey of the 20 states offering online voter registration, that identifies trends in the development and implementation of these systems.

The use of online voter registration is growing rapidly across the country. Over the past 18 months, seven states adopted online voter registration and another six plus the District of Columbia passed legislation authorizing its use. The new survey responses demonstrate that states that offer it are consistently:

  • Considering options to expand services beyond individuals with driver’s licenses or state-issued IDs.
  • Optimizing websites for use on mobile devices.
  • Seeing financial, efficiency, convenience, and security gains from online systems.

States are also developing creative ways to integrate local registration systems, offer multilingual and accessibility features, collaborate with motor vehicles agencies, promote their systems, improve data collection, and decrease reliance on paper. 

The report follows a Pew brief from January 2014 based on a survey of the 13 states that offered online registration at that time.

Follow us on Twitter using #electiondata and get the latest data dispatches, research, and news by subscribing today.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
RELATED
Tags
Election administration
Projects
Election Initiatives
Places
United States

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

High angle aerial view of Indianapolis and the White River park

Article

May 23, 2023 How States Are Boosting Broadband with Pandemic Funds
Four deer stand nervously in a field of dead grasses next to a thin wire fence. A grove of trees and some brush are visible in the background.

Article

May 22, 2023 Farm Bill Revisions That Would Help Wildlife and Habitat
People walking

Article

May 17, 2023 Southern States Gain Residents the Fastest

MORE FROM PEW

A scuba diver wearing a black full-body wetsuit and a pale-yellow air tank glides through fairly clear, shallow waters above an expansive bed of seagrasses. The diver is holding a thin line that extends toward the surface, and silhouettes of some small fish are visible in the background. How Maps Inform Climate and Conservation Decisions
Three men in baseball caps, visible only from above, are examining dead swordfish—silvery in color and laid out on a concrete floor with their signature swords cut off. There are about a dozen fish on the floor, each about four to five feet long. Japan Poised to Lead on Fisheries Oversight in Pacific
A close-up of a dark-brown-skinned woman’s hand holding a cellphone. She wears a beaded bracelet and is sitting beside a brick wall and a window. Most U.S. Adults Remain Unaware of 988 Crisis Lifeline
A white, medium-sized plastic bag lies on a thick lawn of grass. In the background is the Eiffel Tower, a number of lampposts, and three pedestrians passing by. Push to End Plastic Pollution Must Take Comprehensive Approach
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?