Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed in Iowa

by Jonah Goldman

On April 3, 2007, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signed an Election Day Registration bill. EDR allows eligible voters who are unregistered to cast a ballot on Election Day. The bill also provides for Election Day absentee voting registration. Iowa is the eighth state in the nation to implement EDR. The others are Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Maine and Idaho.

In addition to Iowa, 21 states have considered EDR proposals during the 2006 legislative sessions. Several of those states, including Hawaii, Washington, North Carolina and Connecticut, are on the verge of adopting a version of EDR this year. Congressional lawmakers have also included a nationwide EDR provision in the Count Every Vote Act reintroduced this year.

Voters must complete a voter registration form, provide proof of residency in their precinct and show photo identification. Current law requires voters to register 10 days before primary and general elections and 11 days before other elections.

These provisions will apply to elections on or after January 1, 2008.

Read the bill here.

Learn more about EDR here.