The Beacon of Democracy?
What steps can the United States take to make voting fairer?
August 28, 2013
1. The United States is the only major democracy where the burden of registering to vote is on the citizen.
2. Same day registration should be available to all citizens who are not already registered, but have valid U.S. drivers’ licenses.
3. A Social Security card could function as a valid voter ID. Any citizen who has a Social Security number could get a card with a photo, available at Social Security offices or post offices.
4. Election Day should be in line with much of the rest of the world — on weekends, say, from noon Saturday to noon Sunday with early voting a week before.
5. Why is it on Tuesdays? That day of the week was chosen as Election Day in 1845 to accommodate Market Day, when people would take their goods to town.
From We need a new Voting Rights Act by Norman Ornstein (Washington Post)
Takeaways
The United States is the only major democracy where the burden of registering to vote is on the citizen.
