

Gov. Josh Shapiro's (D-PA) office announced on Tuesday that Pennsylvania is rolling out automatic voter registration ahead of what promises to be a close 2024 matchup in the battleground state.
Shapiro, who has emerged as a popular figure in the state, said the move would be beneficial for democracy.
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“Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars,” the governor said in a statement. “Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV — all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration.”
When citizens go to obtain or renew their motor vehicle licenses, they will need to opt out of voter registration if they wish not to be registered.
In the past, Pennsylvanians could register to vote while getting their license, but the process was not streamlined and required nearly 20 questions. Instead, citizens will now be automatically taken through just 11 questions.
Pennsylvania is the latest of 24 states and the District of Columbia to initiate automatic voter registration.
This comes as both parties have embraced efforts to make voting easier and increase turnout.
The Republican Party — which had long held out, criticizing practices such as early and absentee voting and ballot harvesting — is now making significant efforts to promote the various practices in states.
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In a recent Franklin and Marshall poll, President Joe Biden, who claims Pennsylvania as his one-time home, bested former President Donald Trump in a matchup, 42% to 40%.
Shapiro, whose approval rating has increased during his tenure, particularly after his handling of the I-95 reconstruction earlier this summer, is expected to be an important surrogate for the president in Pennsylvania.