Assembly approves online voter registration trial in Yolo County

Bill allows test of online registration for U.C. Davis students, faculty and staff

SACRAMENTO– Legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to allow Yolo County to create a pilot project for online voter registration passed off the Assembly Floor on a 47-32 vote today.

Assembly Bill 2191 would allow Yolo County to coordinate with the Secretary of State to conduct a pilot program for the November 2007 local election through which current voters could reregister to vote safely and securely online.

“My bill will provide UC Davis students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to reregister using a secure online connection,” said Wolk. “The bill ensures that California’s rapidly advancing technology is used to make the reregistration process more accessible, helping voters stay active.

Throughout the school year people move in and out of the U.C. Davis community, frequently forgetting to reregister. AB 2191 will help prevent these voters from falling through the cracks.”

The proposed pilot program would research the security, effectiveness, and efficiency of submitting voter registration information online, utilizing a secure internet channel to transmit voter registration information from U.C. Davis to the Yolo County Registrar of Voters. As an additional safety precaution, voters will be required to provide a signature at the polling site on Election Day.

AB 2191, which now moves to the State Senate, is supported by the California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, the Yolo County Clerk-Recorder, the University of California system, the University of California, Davis, and the University of California Student Association.