Governor signs SB 381, voters can soon register online

California residents will soon be able to register to vote from a computer instead of by mail thanks to Senate Bill 381, which just became law.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill late September, which will allow voters to register online. Electronic registration will not be made available until the state‘s new electronic voter registration database, VoteCal, is in full operation, likely 2010.

“Californians already enjoy the convenience of conducting all kinds of e-government business, from filing tax returns to enrolling in college,“ said Senator Ron Calderon, chair of the Senate Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments, in a written statement. “The ability to register to vote or to update an existing registration online is long overdue.“

Currently, Californians can fill out the registration form online, but must print, sign and mail it. According to officials, the new system will be entirely electronic by using digital signatures on file with the DMV.

According to Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California’s chief elections officer, this bill is part of a logical progression for Californians who already have access to other electronic services.

“Being able to register to vote online is the next logical step in making it easier for Californians to participate fully in their democracy,“ she said.

Alison Robert, a senior at UC Davis, agrees that online registration will help voters participate, but acknowledged the need for caution.

“It will be a more efficient system, and there would be a better turn out, especially with younger voters,“ said Robert, who volunteers with Students for Barack Obama to help register new voters. “But you need to take the right precautionary measures so there aren‘t problems on Election Day.“

According to Bowen, the system will be secure. Online registration will only be available to people with a California driver license or state ID, which will allow the state to compare signatures on petitions and mail-in ballots to the digital signature provided by the DMV. Once the new system is place, traditional paper registration forms will still be accepted.

Some concerns with the new bill are not related to fraud, however. Robert Huckfeldt, professor of political science at UC Davis, questions the overall impact online registration will have on the state electorate, stating that voters with Internet are members of population groups already disproportionately represented.

“[The people with access to the Internet] tend to be the people who have demonstrated their ability to get themselves registered and get to the polls,“ Huckfeldt said. “Hence, I am not sure that Internet registration represents a great step forward in the effort to eliminate the boundaries that compromise the representativeness of the American electorate.“

According to Calderon, online voter registration has been available in Arizona since 2002 where it has been a success and a money saver for government. The state of Washington began allowing online voter registration in January.

Calderon also said this will be a convenient way to get new people involved, especially young people and those serving overseas.

Online registration will get a high turnout of young voters because they are already online, Robert said.

“We‘re online so much checking e-mail and Facebook,“ she said. “You might as well just register online. All the information would be right there.“

Electronic registration will not be available for the coming Nov. 4 election. The last day to register the old-fashioned way is Oct. 20.

ELYSSA THOME can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.