PA Implements Automatic Voter Registration At DMV

PENNSYLVANIA — It just became a lot easier for Pennsylvania drivers to become voters as the verification processes of DMV registration and voter registration have been combined, Governor Josh Shapiro announced in a news release Tuesday.

Starting Tuesday, Pennsylvania residents who are obtaining new or renewed driver licenses and ID cards and are eligible to vote will be automatically taken through the voter registration application process unless they opt out, officials announced. Previously, eligible voters needed to take additional steps to begin the registration process.

For the sake of accessibility, officials also added instructions for these processes in five more languages, bringing the total number to 31.

"Pennsylvania is the birthplace of our democracy, and as governor, I’m committed to ensuring free and fair elections that allow every eligible voter to make their voice heard," Shapiro said in Tuesday's news release.

Shapiro noted that those who visit the DMV already have to provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship—all the information required to register to vote.

"Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars," Shapiro added. "My administration will keep taking innovative actions like this one to make government work better and more efficiently for all Pennsylvanians."

Pennsylvania is far from the first state to implement automatic voter registration. A total of 23 states with leaders from both parties, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia, have already streamlined the process.

Pennsylvanians have been able to apply to register to vote during visits to PennDOT centers since the 1993 passage of the National Voter Registration Act, which includes what is known as the motor voter law.

"Electronic registrations recorded during driver’s license center interactions are more secure and take a fraction of the time to process," Governor Shapiro's office said.

Officials noted that multiple studies—including a 2019 Brennan Center for Justice study and a 2021 study by the Public Policy Institute of California—show that automatic voter registration produces increases in voter turnout.

As of December 2022, approximately 8.7 million Pennsylvanians were registered to vote. According to U.S. Census estimates, more than 10.3 million Pennsylvania residents are eligible to register.