Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2190 - National Voter Registration Act

(House)
(Foley (D) Washington and 105 others)

The Administration endorses the goal of increasing participation in the electoral process. However, the Administration opposes H.R. 2190, as reported, because: (1) a sufficient justification has not been demonstrated for imposing extensive procedural requirements and related costs on the States; (2) the bill would increase substantially the risk of voter fraud; and (3) discriminatory registration practices can be addressed adequately under existing law.

Given the objections to H.R. 2190 as reported, the Administration supports adoption of the Michel amendment. By providing $120 million in block grants to be distributed to the States "for the purpose of supporting, facilitating, and enhancing voter registration activities," the Michel amendment shows a Federal commitment to improving voter registration without mandating specific Federal procedures in an area that has historically been left to the discretion of the States.

Many States have already adopted registration practices which facilitate voter participation and are tailored to fit local needs. H.R. 2190, however, would mandate that States which require voters to register shall adopt three specific registration methods even though such methods have not been shown to be necessary. In addition, the provisions of H.R. 2190 would be subject to abuse because they do not provide a workable method to confirm independently the information provided in voter registration applications. Further, the Department of Justice has successfully challenged as discriminatory provisions similar to those in section 106(c), which addresses methods for verifying the continued accuracy of voter registration lists.