page Bechtel Conference Center Apr 14, 2017 The Bechtel Conference Center is a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
page About PPIC Apr 14, 2017 The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. We inform and improve public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research.
blog post Primary Takeaways By Mark Baldassare Jul 18, 2016 The 2016 primary results point to several trends to watch in the November general election and beyond.
blog post Video: Rolling Out the New Motor Voter Law By Linda Strean Jun 21, 2016 California’s New Motor Voter Act has the potential to diversify the electorate. Its success hinges on the way the system is designed.
event What to Expect from California’s New Motor Voter Law Jun 16, 2016 About the ProgramLast year, California passed major legislation to increase the state's voter rolls. If successful, this automated voter registration law could expand political representation and help boost civic engagement. Research fellow Eric McGhee will talk about the new registration system's expected impact on the demographics and size of the electorate, and outline steps the state can take to ensure the reform achieves its goal. This research was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
Report What to Expect from California’s New Motor Voter Law By Eric McGhee, Mindy Romero Jun 15, 2016 In 2015, California passed major legislation to increase the state’s voter rolls by simplifying the voter registration process. Under the New Motor Voter Act, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will electronically transmit information about DMV customers who are eligible to vote to the California Secretary of State, which will add eligible customers to the voter rolls unless they opt out. We find that this law has the potential to significantly alter the demographic composition of the California electorate, making the population of registered voters more representative of the state as a whole. Our estimates also suggest that the new system may rapidly expand the voter rolls, adding more than 2 million new registrants in the first year. Key implementation issues will decide the impact of the New Motor Voter Act. To ensure the law’s success, the state should require DMV customers to attest to their eligibility to vote as a precondition for completing their transaction. It will also be necessary to mobilize new registrants aggressively if they are to become new voters.
