Calif. voters to be automatically registered at DMV
By Juliet Williams, AP
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has approved legislation to make California the second state in the nation to begin automatically registering eligible voters when they obtain or renew their driver’s licenses.
AB1461 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, aims to boost California’s voter rolls by registering visitors to the Department of Motor Vehicles and was among dozens of bills that Brown announced Saturday he had signed.
It follows Oregon’s move earlier this year to adopt the nation’s first automatic voter registration law.
The legislation backed by Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla calls for data collected by the DMV to be provided to the secretary of state’s office, which would verify a resident’s legal eligibility to vote before registering them. Drivers would have the option to opt out or cancel their voter registration at any time.
The legislation was among a package of election and voter bills that Brown signed, including AB 44 by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, which allows the governor to order a state-funded, manual recount of any statewide ballot measure or elected office in which the margin of victory is extremely small.
Padilla praised the signing of the automatic registration bill.
“Citizens should not be required to opt-in to their fundamental right to vote,” he said in a statement. “We do not have to opt-in to other rights, such as free speech or due process. The right to vote should be no different.”
Lawmakers approved the so-called motor voter law this summer and have held events around the state encouraging Brown to sign it. They say it could add millions of newly registered voters to California’s voter rolls, improving a lackluster registration system that has led to some of the lowest participation rates in the country.
Some Republican lawmakers say voters shouldn’t be forced to sign up. They warn that automatic registration could lead to voter fraud if people who are not eligible are accidentally registered.
Critics have also argued that merely increasing voter registration will not make Californians more engaged in the political process or interested in voting.
Brown Saturday also announced other bill signings:
- SB707 bans concealed weapons from California schools and universities. It drew renewed attention after a recent massacre at an Oregon community college.
- SB27 gives California the toughest limits in the nation on the use of antibiotics in livestock.
The governor also vetoed nine bills sponsored by fellow Democrats that would have created new tax credits or expanded existing tax credits.
Brown said the state’s budget is still facing financial uncertainties, and the tax credits would make balancing the state’s budget even more difficult.
This is of some concern. If non-citizen folks are allowed to obtain drivers licenses in California this may be a loop hole for fraudulent voters- what enforcement measures will be put in place?
The article does state eligible voters- hmmm
4th paragraph….
“The legislation backed by Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla calls for data collected by the DMV to be provided to the secretary of state’s office, which would verify a resident’s legal eligibility to vote before registering them.”
Should have been mentioned in the 3rd paragraph; 4 is too many for many people to read and understand without pictures.
So Hispanic elected officials are behind a plan that gives anyone with a drivers license automatic voting registration when everyone with a brain knows this state has millions of people illegally in it who were granted the right to a license and there isn’t enough people employed to check the status of all of them. Couldn’t be a chance of fraud, right? Why are people so easily fooled by this fraud is the question.
Demorats trying to get votes any way they can. It’s all in their agenda.
Yes leave it to the Secretary of State’s office to verify eligible voters after DMV issues drivers licenses to anybody who wants one. Maybe this could all be done over the internet. What could possibly go wrong?
Once again those fringe right wing folks try and insinuate voter fraud.
31 cases of voter fraud proven in the entire US since 2000.
Yet they disenfranchise millions of voters in red states regularly between voter role purges and ID requirements.
“Proven” being the operative word. Very hard to prove when there’s no verifiable ID required.
Duh.
Who has been disenfranchised? Proof?
Can’t buy a beer without ID. What’s more important?
Voter fraud by some imaginary coalition of immigrants is too stupid an idea to even consider. Who would think it’s a good idea to cast 1 vote illegally when the penalties are felony/prison?-
Election fraud is a completely different topic that has changed our country into an oligarchy thanks to 2000-2004 manipulations-
Nobody wants to talk about that American nightmare
It is fraud and should be illegal to allow someone illegally in the country in violation of federal law to have a drivers license in the first place, except liberals think otherwise and laws are subjective for them. Now the illegality continues by signing them up to vote automatically. This is so obvious as to be a joke if it wasn’t so state destroying. With the misnamed department of justice in friendly hands and the liberals strategy to take any action to recruit more votes for liberals, they have nothing to worry about until 2016 when the legal citizens in the country vote and then every illegal vote becomes very important.
Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!
justanass, the real illegal IMHO
More empty-headedness from another unhappy lying liberal seen for what they are every day trying yet another and a new lie. Try using one of the few remaining brain cells before they are all gone.
Now the senile goat has passed that the illegals can vote. The insanity and lunacy gets even worse. Cali is the poster state for out of control liberalism.
Hahahaha. Illegals can vote now! Aliens on welfare are treated better than tax paying people who work everyday. Only in America. Mostly California. I’m about ready to throw in the towel. If I quit my job, get a free Obama phone and subsidized housing I can live just as well. Ebt, a little Wic and I’m good to go! Without having to lift a finger. Obama has really turned this place around! He was right about change. He did warn us.
Justn@ss, Kats Crap and Drule are just Xenophobes clinging to their WMD Flight Suit Bush dolls.
Oh some classic hits from the real Morons trying to wreak a country…
I didn’t intend to sell missiles and weapons to the Sunni Muslims in Iran. GOPer Reagan 1987 while Cap Weinberger resigns in disgrace over Iran/Contra.
Read my lips or was it use my lips and no new taxes? GOPer Bush Sr 1988.
Bin Laden is one person I don’t spend much time on. Bush Jr 2002.
Iraq War will only cost about $50-60 Billion tops; (ends up costing $1.2 Trillion and counting.) Mitch Daniels GOPer Troll for Bush Jr. 2002.
I doubt the Iraq War will last more then six months. Dummy Rumsfeld 2003.
Mission Accomplished in Iraq. GOPer Bush Jr. 2003.
more to come…
Rock in all fairness military-industrial influence is global and mucks with whoever is most convenient at the time. We will probably find out about some shady stuff in 20 years that happened between 2008-16.
Voter fraud by illegals is another head of the right with fear machine medusa. They know that when more people vote, they don’t do as well. They could worry about why that is but this is obviously more fun. Look how aroused they all are. Just like a dog, if you stop looking at them the lipstick will retract on its own. Yelling at it only makes it more excited.
(I am so pleased with where that extended metaphor ended up)
Give illegals a pass on the laws of the nation, give them free licenses and welfare, schools, and medical, give them free get out of jail passes so they can murder more people, and give them the vote. These are the liberals in action. Their days are numbered as are the liberals. Their fraud is obvious to anyone with a brain.
Billy, great extended metaphor.
Sometimes yelling and pointing out the obvious feels good. Its sorta fun to try and visualize the veins on the necks poping out and the blood pressure, eye dilating, bowl gurgling the fanatics must experience when their rants are put onto a nothing blog and they think anyone out here gives a rats butt about their thoughts. I chuckle…
Yes, let’s talk about illegals. You frothing reactionaries should ask yourselves why, when republicans controlled all branches of federal government, did they not accomplish any meaningful legislation about employers who hire illegal immigrants. The answer is the same as it has been for decades: they talk a good game but keep the flow of illegal immigrants going for their partners in the business community. Who then pay exorbitant amounts of money to their traitorous campaigns. Mr. Reagan signed the amnesty bill in 1986, which allowed millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States. No matter how you parse it, the republicans are responsible for the continued illegal immigration.
You can pretend all you like, but “liberals” didn’t have anything to do with it. You have been duped for decades.