Registering to vote is a special, sacred gift, often bought in blood, that must be honored. American men and women have fought and died on battlefields around the world to preserve and protect the freedom to vote of our constitutional republic. National Voter Registration Day is an vital reminder for us to highlight the right perspectives on voter registration and celebrate correct, lucid and accountable voter registration and voter rolls.
Our Nation should emphasize many democratic principles on this vital day. First, eligible Americans should take the initiative and take advantage of the opportunity offered to them by registering to vote. Voluntary participation in registering and voting is vital, but systems such as automatic voter registration (AVR) disregard this right. AVR is valid in 23 states. In these states, the state government automatically registers a person to vote, whether the person wishes to register or not, when interacting with a state government agency. The most common example is when you go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to get a driver’s license and you are not registered to vote at your fresh address. Even if you didn’t ask, and you may not want to, you are automatically registered to vote because of your interaction with the DMV. You haven’t made a choice; the state government did it for you.
The right to vote has been fought to be defended by our bravest men and women, and all potential voters have the right to decide their level of participation in the process – no federal or state government should make that decision for them. Registering to vote is a unique privilege; it should not be ignored, but it should not be something imposed on the American people by the government.
Second, American citizens, and ONLY American citizens, should be able to vote in American elections. The idea of ​​allowing non-US citizens to vote is contrary to our Constitution and the principle of one legal vote for one legal US citizen. Unfortunately, jurisdictions across the country, including New York, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco, have expanded voting rights to foreigners. This is perilous and undermines the very concept of the privilege of being an American citizen. Non-citizen voting disenfranchises legal immigrants who are currently U.S. citizens and have earned that right. It also disenfranchises Black Americans, whose votes are completely lost, especially in urban areas where illegal immigrant voting levels are high. From the Civil War and Reconstruction to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, black Americans fought for equal representation at the ballot box. My a recent article in the Washington Times. describes this fight in detail.
Third, elected officials responsible for administering elections should ensure that there is never a situation in which there are more registered voters than people eligible to register to vote. This is common sense, but achieving this result was not that common. For example, in Arizona four counties have voter registration rates higher than their population– impossibility. Elected officials responsible for administering elections can avoid this situation by organizing their voter rolls. Regularly maintaining the voter roll is critical to protecting legal voters because it removes the names of voters who have died or who have moved out of state.
Fourth, countries should apply registration processes that are legal, lucid and accountable. A clear example of a state violating its voters’ trust occurred recently in Wisconsin and was exposed by the Wisconsin Law and Liberty Institute. The Institute won a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) after it was discovered that the WEC was using a national absentee voter registration form that it had never legally adopted and that did not meet statutory requirements. This means that it was illegal to apply the form in Wisconsin.
For these and other reasons, Americans’ confidence in elections is failing. In 2004, confidence in the elections was 74%. It dropped in 2008 to 59%, increased to 66% in 2016, and then dropped again in 2020 to 59%. 72% of people on the left believe in the debunked theory that Russia caused the wrong person to be declared the winner of the 2016 presidency, and 53% of people on the right you believe that the wrong person was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Faith, trust and confidence in elections have been weakening for decades, and by becoming a citizen who is willing to vote, you can assist fix a deeply flawed voter registration system.
On this National Voter Registration Day, every person eligible to register should register. They should do it themselves and not let some anonymous government through AVR do it for them. Those eligible should then exercise their American privilege and vote. They should do so knowing that it shows ongoing appreciation for the country that grants them this sacred, individual voice and honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this right. One registered voter, casting one vote, was counted only once. This is something worth signing up for and celebrating.
Ken Blackwell is chairman of the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute and former Ohio Secretary of State.
