Political Quotes

“Woman, all too often in Washington, we mistake activity for progress, and in many cases we apply that misguided framework onto the States. There are few better examples of this than Washington's dabbling in our election laws over the last 2 or 3 decades. The National Voter Registration Act, our last big partisan bill, aimed at increasing turnout, did not actually achieve that aim. It increased voter registration, but as the Congressional Research Service has said: Its effect on turnout remains unclear. Its cost and mandates on the States, however, were very clear. That is exactly what I am talking about in terms of mistaking activity for progress. The centerpiece of division A's voting section is automatic registration. According to my colleagues on the other side, it covers all sorts of problems: updating the voter rolls, lack of participation, et cetera. No excuse vote by mail, same-day registration can be important, but is the automatic voter registration section that is hoped for the driver of participation? This is an aggressive mandate in a bill full of aggressive mandates. Fifteen States and Washington, D.C., have automatic registration. Only five States do it at every welfare and government agency. Three States require registrants to decline by postcard. This bill would more or less include all three of these provisions. This bill would also require the automatic preregistration of 16- year-olds.…”