States can do it. Elections belong to the States, not federal government. So talk to your state government and tell then what you want.
Yeah, there’s also a bit of a difference in that voting is connected to where you live, while selective service registration doesnt really matter where you live, just that you exist (and are male). They can find you if they need to.
Also, I’ve lived in multiple states with “automatic voter registration”, and it’s really a misnomer. All it is is an extra check box when you get a driver’s license, so registration is: 1) not happening if you dont have a driver’s license, 2) not happening if you choose not to check the box.
I’ve made this rant before, but every country has voter registration somehow. Even Australia where you are required to vote, it’s still on the individual to enroll and update their enrollment whenever they move. Similarly, I’ve had Dutch people tell me they dont have to register to vote, and this is also not true because they have to register to exist at whatever address they live at, and voting registration is conferred along with that.
Some places let you prove you can vote when you go to the polling location, but that’s still effectively the same thing.
The only way for it to be truly automatic is if you live in a microstate that doesnt have multiple voting districts, or the government surveils you to keep track of where you live.
Voter registration is still complety pointless. Why do you even need to register to vote? Sure, it’s location-based, but you should just be able to show up to the polls with your drivers license which lists your address.
Why does it need to be a completely separate thing? This is just a method to suppress the vote.
There is probably a valid argument about the managing the logistics of poling places to be made here.
Jurisdictions need to know how many ballots, poll workers, and polling locations they need to actually run the election.
Registration also helps to determine what proportion of the electorate turned out. This can give hints to how well information about the time and place of elections was advertised and whether polling places were open long enough or at enough locations to give people the opertunity to vote.
The way in which registration is handled in a given jurisdiction can absolutely be designed to suppress votes.
There is probably a valid argument about the managing the logistics of poling places to be made here.
Is there? Never had to register to vote, never had to walk more than a few minutes to the polling place, never had to wait more than a few minutes to cast the vote. These are not unique experiences, but simply what everyone expects in any functional democracy.
When you cast a vote, how do they know you are eligible to vote there? The answer is that you registered at some point, though they may not have called it that
Yes of course, just not in a separate step. Every legal resident is automatically registered to vote.
So if I moved to your town, how would the people at the polls know I was a legal resident?
