NVRA Expanded Voter Registration Opportunities Through Motor Vehicle Offices, Now the Most Popular Registration Method According to an EAC Report on the 2022 General Election
Washington, D.C. – Today marks the 31st Anniversary of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). To commemorate the anniversary of this landmark legislation, U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Chairman Ben Hovland, Vice Chair Donald Palmer, Commissioner Thomas Hicks, and Commissioner Christy McCormick issued the following joint statement:
“The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), or motor voter law, provided new opportunities for eligible citizens to register by mail and at additional state agencies. Before the enactment of the NVRA, voter registration opportunities varied widely throughout the states for federal elections. This historic legislation has expanded those opportunities, streamlined the process, and made voting more secure.
For the 2022 general election, motor vehicle offices accounted for 55% of the total registrations received—the highest share of voter registrations by any method in Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) history. The NVRA is responsible for greatly expanding voter registration at motor vehicle agencies across the country. This makes it easier for eligible citizens to register to vote when they renew or receive a driver’s license or state ID card.
The NVRA also expanded registration list accuracy requirements for elections on the federal level, such as requiring election officials to conduct reasonable list maintenance of voter registration lists. This routine list maintenance should help to instill confidence in our elections.
As the only federal agency solely focused on the administration of elections, the EAC is charged with carrying out components of the NVRA, such as developing and maintaining the National Mail Voter Registration Form and collecting data every federal election on voter registration and list maintenance activities.
31 years ago today, the NVRA enacted enormous strides to help eligible Americans participate in the election process. The EAC recognizes this critical effort as well as the hard work and dedication of the state and local election officials who will help millions cast their ballots this presidential election year.”
More information on the National Voter Registration Form and EAVS voter registration data is available on eac.gov.
###
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate, and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.