ESPC to Lawmakers: Remove Barriers to Voter Registration

September 11, 2020

Wyoming is the only state that requires a notarized signature for mailed-in voter registration forms, and one of a handful that don’t allow online registration. “In most states these days, voters can go to the Secretary State’s website and register online,” ESPC Executive Director Chris Merrill told members of the Joint Corporations Committee this month, adding that a number of states, unlike Wyoming, have automatic voter registration at the DMV.

Why does it matter? Because when barriers exist to voting—or to registering—fewer people vote. And that’s not good for democracy.

Although lawmakers were primarily focused on the requirements to serve as a notary, after Chris’s testimony the committee co-chair asked the Secretary of State’s Office to look into removing the notary requirement and to investigate options for online voter registration. That’s great news—we’ll keep you posted!

In the meantime, read more coverage of the issue and about Chris’s testimony here. And be sure to check your own voter registration status!

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