Democracy Program

National Voter Registration Act Implementation Project

Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act in 1993 to increase the number of citizens who register to vote and therefore cast ballots in U.S. elections.  Recognizing that the law's "motor voter" provision was unlikely to reach low-income citizens who are less likely to own automobiles, Congress also mandated in Section 7 of the NVRA that voter registration be offered at public assistance agencies.  While most states have adopted programs for driver's license-based registration, an increasing body of evidence suggests many states have roundly ignored the public assistance provisions of the law.

Demos and our partners at Project Vote, ACORN, and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law have worked for the past several years to improve states' compliance with the public assistance provisions of the NVRA through negotiation, technical assistance, and litigation.  Our work indicates that full implementation of the NVRA can significantly increase the opportunities for low-income citizens to register to vote and participate in the democratic process. 

Latest Developments

• Arizona's Settlement with the Department of Justice
   - May 21, 2008 (pdf)
• Complaint Filed Against Missouri Department of Social Services
   - April 23, 2008 (pdf)
• Testimony of Lisa J. Danetz before the House Subcommittee on Elections
   - April 1, 2008 (pdf)
• NVRA Intent to File Letter: Arizona and Florida
   - February 11, 2008 (pdf)
• Demos and Project Vote Inform New Mexico of Voting Rights Law Violations
   - July 16, 2007 (pdf)
• Statement on WA Gov Gregoire's July 4 Executive Order Regarding NVRA Section 7 Compliance
   - July 5, 2007
• Demos Statement on a New Election Assistance Commission Report Revealing a Dramatic Decline in Registrations Among Low-Income Voters
   - July 2, 2007
• Valuing the Votes of the Poor - Demos's Scott Novakowski's article on tompaine.com on NVRA in North Carolina
   - May 24, 2007
• Letter to Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member urging Investigation of DoJ NVRA Enforcement.
   - May 7, 2007 (pdf)
• Registering Indifference - A tompaine.com article by Demos/NVRI attorney Lisa Danetz comparing NVRA progress in Ohio and North Carolina
   - October 30, 2006

Latest Reports

• Expanding Voter Registration for Low-Income Citizens:
  How North Carolina is Realizing the Promise of the National Voter Registration Act
   - April 2008 (pdf)
• Unequal Access: Neglecting the National Voter Registration Act, 1995-2007
   - February 11, 2008 (pdf)
• Maximizing Voter Registration Opportunities in Human Services Agencies - A step-by-step overview of how to improve compliance with the NVRA
   - November 30, 2005
• Ten Years Later, A Promise Unfulfilled - A report on state compliance with the NVRA ten years after it was implemented
   - September 14, 2005