This article has been updated with the latest information.

On National Voter Registration Day this Tuesday, numerous celebrities took to social media to motivate their followers to participate in the upcoming presidential election. Notably, Taylor Swift’s recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris led to over 405,000 visits to Vote.gov.

While there are many ways for eligible individuals to register, one primary method is through their local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

The National Voter Registration Act created voter registration services at state motor vehicle agencies, often referred to as the “Motor Voter” law. Following its enactment, at least 24 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted automatic voter registration systems. This system automatically registers eligible citizens who engage with their state’s driver’s licensing department unless they choose to opt-out, as reported by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.

Proponents of automatic voter registration argue that it enhances voting accessibility and updates the registration process. However, critics contend that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that automatic registration significantly impacts voter turnout.

Understanding Automatic Voter Registration

Automatic voter registration occurs when an eligible voter engages with a government office, such as their local DMV, resulting in automatic registration or updates to their existing registration. Specifics of the automatic voter registration process can differ by state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Oregon was the first state to implement this system in 2015. As of September 2023, Pennsylvania has begun its automatic registration implementation at driver’s license centers, joining 23 other states and Washington, D.C.

The Impact of Automatic Voter Registration on Turnout

Studies demonstrate that automatic registration effectively boosts voter registration rates. The Brennan Center reported that these rates increased between 9% and 94% in states that have adopted an automatic registration approach.

An examination of Oregon’s automatic voter registration system revealed that in 2016, 272,702 individuals were automatically registered, leading to over 98,000 new participants in the presidential election that same year, according to the Center for American Progress. The research indicated that around 116,000 of these registered voters were unlikely to have registered otherwise.

Additional research indicates that while automatic voter registration significantly increases registration numbers, those newly registered individuals may be less likely to vote.

By 2018, 10 states along with Washington, D.C., had adopted automatic voter registration systems.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau illustrates changes in voter registration and turnout rates among eligible voters in these 11 areas, showcasing the percentage of registered voters from the 2014 midterms to the 2022 midterms.

Automatic Registration Benefits Both Major Parties

According to data from Pennsylvania’s Voter Services Department, there was a 58% increase in new voter registrations at DMV centers from September 2023 to 2024, compared to the same timeframe two years ago.

Since automatic voter registration began in September 2023, over 151,000 new voters have been registered, with more than 422,000 applications received for automatic registration. Approximately 34% of these new voters are registered as Republicans, while 30% registered as Democrats.