Feingold Proposes Federal Election Day Registration (Updated)

Update: Down with Tyranny has more on this from Amy Klobuchar, who is a cosponsor of the bill.
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In the wake of the Supreme Courts decision in the Indian Photo-ID case, Sen. Russ Feingold is proposing nation-wide election day registration for federal elections.

From the AP:

WASHINGTON -- Minnesota and Wisconsin lawmakers are seeking legislation that would require states to let people register to vote on the same day that a federal election is held.

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, plan to introduce the bill on Thursday. The lawmakers, all Democrats, say that same-day registration will encourage more people to vote.

The legislation comes three days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can require voters to produce photo identification. Civil rights groups worry that such voter ID laws will deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Proponents say voter ID laws are needed to prevent fraud.

I don't know what the chance is of this bill even making it out of committee (slim to none, I suspect), but it is a fantastic idea. Young people face too many barriers to voting already. We move a lot (invalidating our registrations), we are inexperienced with the process, local municipalities discourage student voting, and now thanks to the Supreme Court, young voters in Indiana face a number of new bureaucratic hoops through which they must jump before casting their first ballot. Given all that, it's no wonder voter turnout rates are lower among young people and high among seniors who rarely move and have decades of experience with the process.

If we want to see young people turnout in numbers on par with the rest of the electorate, EDR is a great first step. Studies have shown that in EDR states, youth turnout can rise by as much as 14% (pdf). Kudos to Senator Feingold for raising the issue. This is something all youth groups should promote and pursue in the coming months and years.