New study shows the impacts of Automatic Voter Registration in Georgia

Caption

Voter registration rates increased in Georgia after the implementation of automatic voter registration

Credit: The Center for Election Innovation and Research

A new study from the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research indicates Georgia’s voter registration numbers have climbed since Automatic Voter registration was implemented in 2016. 

The program allows for voters to register while getting their driver’s license. The state was also singled out for its bipartisan approach to registration and the electorate more representative of the population in terms of age and gender.

In a virtual meeting Wednesday, the Center’s Executive Director and Founder David Becker said Georgia saw a jump in registration between 2016 and 2020.

“Active voter registration rate, which means active registration records in Georgia, increased 20 percentage points to 98% of eligible Georgians in 2020, compared to 2016, where it was 78%,” he said.

In 2022, about 92% of eligible Georgians were registered. Becker said that the slightly lower registration rate is typical for nonpresidential election years. 

Becker also said that high 2020 registration rate could be attributed to new voter registrations. 

2016's rate, 78% is relatively average for the U.S., Becker noted. 

Inactive voter records also dropped in the time frame to 5%, down from 14%. Becker said 5% is low compared to other U.S. states. 

Gabriel Sterling, the Georgia chief operating officer for the Secretary of State, also spoke in the meeting. He said that while disinformation about election integrity exists, leaders must rise above and continue to improve the elections process. 

"We will continue to fight for the truths on these items and work to make them better," he said. "And this kind of research can point out things that maybe we should do that differently, maybe we should do that better, maybe we should do it like in another state, or the states should do it like us, but only through constant innovation and constant research."