People with most to gain are unregistered

The fact that millions of potential voters are not registered undermines an essential feature of our system of government

Were you aware that September 26 was National Voter Registration Day? Despite the need for greater voter involvement, few Americans are aware the day exists or that millions of Americans remain unregistered. A recent 2017 study from Pew Charitable Trusts found that 62 percent of those asked why they had never registered to vote replied, “no one ever asked me to.”

The statistic is an appalling reflection, showing how disconnected many people have become from what is supposed to be the foundational concept of our government. Yes, we can admire the expansion of voting rights in the 20th Century. But recent voter suppression efforts in several states have reduced the number of eligible voters, and millions of Americans remain unregistered. Unfortunately, the people who most need to vote to see improvement in their personal life circumstances are those who are less likely to be registered.

Here’s a list of conditions that remain to be addressed in order for the registration of unregistered citizens to succeed and to strengthen voting as an essential feature of our government:

Certified and trained New Mexico voter registration agents, like many of us, are too reluctant to leave their comfort zone which includes people who, like themselves, are already registered.

New Mexico voter registration agents are trained with a good package of basic knowledge and skills, i.e. how to assist people to fill out the form. But current training includes no role playing, which develops the confidence and motivation to pursue voter registration.

There is no infrastructure which supports those who register voters and there is no easy way to keep their knowledge and skills current or provide answers to voters’ questions. Voter registration agents are not equipped to respond to many urban myths, e.g. “voting in every presidential election means you get an ‘A’ for voting in 100 percent of the elections.” Unfortunately, it means you voted less than half the time because there are important city, county and mid-term elections, which affect our lives.

We’re now reaping the legacy of a generation of students whose schooling did not include civics or information about how government functions. Too many millennials grew up with parents who did not vote, nor encourage their children to register. This issue must be addressed soon.

Political parties have limited volunteer engagement and funding. They tend to focus on those already registered to vote, while ignoring the unregistered. This is evident during heated political campaigns, like the current municipal election, when the spotlight is on getting “likely voters” to the polls.

The current mayoral forums focus on discussing campaign issues. Only one of the eight mayoral candidates is certified to register voters. Real leaders should get training to register voters and should encourage constituents to become voter registration agents as well.

There is a lack of media attention on the importance of participating in our form of government. Over an entire year virtually no coverage is given to successful voter registration efforts.

With 21st Century information systems, it’s possible to register people automatically as they do in several states. Making that happen in New Mexico could open up the election process to thousands of New Mexicans.

Why? Because we want the governed — that’s all of us — to be able to use the power of the voting booth to improve the quality of our lives and to continue to show that, as Theodore Parker said and Martin Luther King Jr. quoted, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Perhaps you, reading this today, can help by asking someone you encounter — a server at a restaurant, someone behind the counter at a store, or a new neighbor — “Are you registered to vote?”