In January of 2016, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) published a list of the top 10 issues that will be before state legislatures across the nation this year. Since Pennsylvania will close out the 2015-2016 session this fall, it’s worth a look to see what our own elected officials are doing to address each of the issues. The next topic up for consideration: Online Voter Registration.

In 2002, Arizona became the first state to implement online voter registration (OVR). Over a decade later, Pennsylvania joined the club on August 27, 2015 when Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Pedro Cortes announced that Pennsylvania would launch OVR as an alternative option to the traditional paper form. Over 30 states currently have an OVR, and a handful of others are looking to implement a program in the upcoming year.

No legislation was required to implement the OVR program in the Commonwealth. Secretary Cortes stated at a joint informational hearing of the House and Senate State Government Committees held last October that the Department’s legal authority derives from Act 3 of 2002, the Voter Registration Act. Specifically, Section 1327(a) (4) provides that “nothing in this part shall prohibit the design and use of an electronic voter registration application.”

At the time of the hearing, paper registrations were ahead of online registrations by 2.5 percent. On March 8, 2016, Secretary Cortes announced that the number of online voter registration applications surpassed paper submissions for the first time. In the first three months of the new year, 85,000 people used the OVR system, while 68,000 submitted a paper registration application.

A main concern opponents of the OVR program have is the authenticity of the applicant. The state has measures in place to ensure the process is secure and legitimate. First, once an online application is completed it is directly transmitted to the county voter registration office for processing. Second, firewall and security applications are contained in the system to monitor any possible irregularities. Lastly, the OVR website is directly linked to PennDOT’s Motor Voter system; if the applicant has a driver’s license or ID card, his or her signature can be linked to their OVR applicant to confirm the genuineness of the application. If the applicant isn’t in PennDOT’s system, he or she can print, sign and mail the online application to his or her country voter registration office or upload the signature electronically.

The Department of State won the 2015 Pennsylvania Excellence in Technology Award for its OVR application. The award recognizes “stellar achievements and innovative initiatives in the public sector throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Another success of the OVR program is cost savings. According to a Pew Charitable Trusts report, “states using online voter registration have seen per-application savings ranging from $.50 to $2.34.”

During the current legislative session, three bills have been introduced relating to OVR. All three have remained in committee due to the Administration and DOS’s actions.

  • HB 692 (Daley, Mary Jo, D-Montgomery) – Creates an online voter registration process for new voters and existing voters to update information.
  • HB 1223 (Deasy, D-Allegheny) – Allows individuals to register to vote online up to 30 days prior to an election.
  • SB 315 (Smucker, R-Lancaster) – Allows individuals to register to vote online up to 30 days prior to an election.

There are only 73 days left in the current election cycle. Here are some important dates:

  • October 11, 2016 – Last day to register before the November election
  • November 1, 2016 – Last day to apply for an absentee ballot
  • November 4, 2016 – Last day for County Board of Elections to receive voted absentee ballots
  • November 8, 2016 – General election