Report California’s Missing Voters: Who Is Not Voting and Why By Eric McGhee Jun 26, 2017 Despite an uptick in voter registration and turnout for last year’s election, California’s long-term trends in voter participation are disappointing. Mobilizing key groups—especially Latinos, Asian Americans, and young people—will be crucial to ensure future civic engagement in the state.
blog post Testimony: Who Votes, Who Doesn’t, and Why By Eric McGhee May 25, 2017 Californians’ participation in elections has declined, but there is now a fresh opportunity to engage them.
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.
blog post Video: Expanding the California Electorate By Linda Strean May 19, 2016 How can the state expand its electorate? Leaders and experts told a Los Angeles audience that the mechanics of voting can be improved and outreach to underrepresented groups is essential.
Report Putting California’s Voter Turnout in Context By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Feb 17, 2016 Record-low turnout in recent elections and lagging registration rates have spurred efforts to make voting and registration easier. This report takes an in-depth look at both the scope and the nature of the problem, and explores additional reforms that might be pursued.
blog post Voter Registration: Not Quite Automatic Yet By Eric McGhee Nov 11, 2015 A new law has the potential to register millions more Californians to vote—depending on how it is implemented.
