Support election day registration in Massachusetts
On November 3rd, 1998, I stood in a hotel ballroom in downtown Minneapolis with hundreds of other Democrats, hoping to celebrate the election of Hubert Humphrey III (not the VP, his son) to the Governorship of Minnesota. Even at the age of 17 and still to young to vote, I had poured so much sweat into Humphrey’s campaign, hoping to ensure his victory over the Republican Norm Coleman who I despised with a passion. As the major party candidates, of course, most media attention during the campaign had focused on Humphrey and Coleman, while the Reform Party candidate and former WWF wrestler Jesse Ventura remained relegated to colorful sideshow status.
Of course, we all know what actually happened. As Dan Rather said on the CBS election night report: “for a lot of people in Washington, they could not be more surprised if Fidel Castro came loping through on the back of a hippopotamus. It appears Jesse Ventura has been elected governor of Minnesota.”
Personally that election was a disappointment. I had invested so much energy into Humphrey’s campaign and convinced myself there was no way he could lose. It was the beginning of a long stream of political losses for me. On a grander scale, however, Jesse Ventura’s election was a victory not just for him, but for open democracy in Minnesota.
How did Ventura do it? How did he beat the polls conducted by the major candidates, their parties and the media? How did he go from fringe candidate to governor of Minnesota?
Election day registration.
Since the early 1970’s, Minnesota has had an election day registration law that allows people to vote even if they weren’t already pre-registered. In 1998, thousands of young people ages 18 to 35 who had rarely (if ever) voted before and therefore not counted in opinion polls, showed up at the polls to cast their vote for Jesse Ventura. It was Jesse Ventura’s candidacy and not election day registration which got them to the polls, but it was election day registration alone which allowed them to pull the lever.
Right now both the Massachusetts House and Senate have the opportunity to expand the openness of election in our Commonwealth, and approve election day registration. Secretary of Commonwealth Bill Galvin, the main elections officer in the state, has signified his support for election day registration. So to has Governor Patrick who’s signature would be needed for ultimate approval. It’s time for the legislature to act.
We know that, because of the cumbersome nature of elections, the more wealth, educated and white you are, the more likely you are to vote. As former Lieutenant Governor candidate Andrea Silbert said in a recent email: “In the historic 2006 election, 40% of Massachusetts’ registered voters stayed home. In some communities, new citizens proudly arrived at the polls only to find out they had missed the registration deadline.”
On Thursday, May 10th, MassVOTE will be sponsoring a Lobby Day at the State House for citizens to encourage their legislators to approve SB 446 and HB 646. I hope that you will join me and other residents from across the state as we spread the word on this important tool for increasing the participation of thousands of young people, new citizens, and low income voters who will benefit the most from this law.
April 28th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Minnesota traditionally has by far the highest voter turnout in the nation thanks in part to election day registration. Despite what critics fear, no voter fraud has occurred because of election day registration. It expands the democratic process to many who otherwise would not participate. Mass. ought to do it.