Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 28 June 2019

Survey: 2018 turnout high, voters embrace expansive options

TLANTA (AP) — More than more responsibilities piled
120 million Americans cast on us," said Linda Lindberg,
ballots in the 2018 midterm the general registrar from
elections, with turnout surg- Arlington, Virginia, adding
ing to that of a typical pres- the commission's survey
idential year in some states provides valuable metrics
and the highest percent- for her and her colleagues
ages of voters in places as they ask for additional
that have expanded ac- resources. "It will help us
cess to the polls, according both at the local and the
to an analysis of data re- state level to say, 'Look,
leased Thursday by the U.S. this is how election admin-
Election Assistance Com- istration is changing. Here's
mission. where we were years ago.
The 2018 Election Adminis- Here's where we are today
tration and Voting Survey and here is what other juris-
highlights the decentral- dictions are doing.'"
ized nature of U.S. elections Democrats in Congress
and disparities within state have been pushing for
voting laws. For instance, voting reforms to expand
25 states have passed vot- voter registration opportu-
ing restrictions in the last nities and increase access,
decade while others have make Election Day a fed-
been expanding access by eral holiday and limit the
implementing vote by mail, removal of voters from reg-
same-day voter registration istration lists. On the issue of
and other measures. voter removals, concerns
In 2018, six states saw turn- have been raised in some
out levels exceed 60%, states — particularly Ohio
when considering the num- and Georgia — that elec-
ber of U.S. citizens eligible to tion officials have been
vote, according to the sur- too aggressive in removing
vey. Among those were Or- people from these lists.
egon and Colorado, which The election survey found
conduct their elections en- 17 million voter registra-
tirely by mail, considered tion records were removed
one of the more accessible from the rolls between the
voting options. The other 2016 and 2018 elections.
four states provide oppor- Federal law requires states
tunities to cast ballots early, to maintain accurate voter
allow voters to register and rolls, although there has
vote on Election Day and been some disagreement
don't require an excuse for on how to interpret certain
absentee voting. In this Nov. 6, 2018 file photo, a voter fills out a ballot at a polling place at Lake Shore Elementary sections of the law.
"I hope that data like this School, in Pasadena, Md. The survey also collected
encourages a race to the Associated Press data on voting technology.
top," said Myrna Perez, di- In 2018, 10 states had more
rector of the voting rights voters who have an issue an in-state driver's license; erases the fact that some than half of their jurisdic-
and elections program at on Election Day with their the elderly who no longer couldn't." tions using electronic vot-
The Brennan Center for Jus- registration, such as an out- drive and let their licenses A report on the survey, ing machines that do not
tice at NYU's School of Law. dated address, are given expire; and those who rely which is based on data produce a paper record of
"It's important to be able provisional ballots that may on public transportation submitted by state and lo- each ballot that is verified
to show that states can do or may not be counted. and may have difficulty cal election offices, is sent by the voter and can later
these reforms and it works." The survey found that, in taking time off from work to to Congress after each fed- be audited. They are Dela-
The survey found the rate 2018, 25 states and the Dis- obtain a driver's license. eral election and the data ware, Georgia, Indiana,
of early, in-person voting trict of Columbia had poli- Voter ID laws don't neces- is used to analyze voting Kentucky, Louisiana, Missis-
more than doubled since cies rejecting such ballots sarily result in low voter turn- trends nationwide. Along sippi, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
the 2014 election and vote cast by voters outside their out. Wisconsin has a strict with collecting information vania, South Carolina, and
by mail was used by one- assigned precinct. photo ID requirement and on election administration, Tennessee. Cybersecurity
quarter of the electorate The six states with the low- saw turnout reach 61% in the commission is charged experts have warned these
last year. est percentage of voter 2018, among the highest in with developing voluntary machines are vulnerable
Voting rights advocates say turnout were Hawaii, West the nation. But voting ex- guidelines for voting sys- to hacking and must be re-
same-day or Election Day Virginia, Oklahoma, Missis- perts caution high turnout tems and disbursing grants placed.
voter registration not only sippi, Texas and Tennessee. also doesn't mean voters for voting equipment up- The survey also found
eliminates deadlines to Of those, Mississippi and weren't disenfranchised grades. the use of electronic poll
register weeks in advance Tennessee have strict pho- due to restrictive policies. At a conference held Thurs- books to check in voters
of an election but also al- to ID requirements for vot- "We are not a democracy day in Washington by the has surged 48% since the
lows voters who have failed ers, which critics say can for the vast majority, we are commission, panelists dis- 2016 presidential election.
to update their addresses limit voter participation a democracy for all of us," cussed the challenges fac- The technology has been
with election officials to among college students Perez said. "We can't say ing local election officials. implemented statewide in
cast ballots that will be who live on campus in an- just because more of a ma- "Many of us do feel like seven states and the Dis-
counted. In many states, other state and don't need jority chose to participate we are having more and trict of Columbia.q