A measure that would allow Vermonters to register to vote at a polling place on Election Day passed the House on a voice vote Tuesday.
Starting in 2017, the bill would allow people to fill out a voter registration form minutes before voting without providing any formal identification.
The House Government Operations Committee cleared S.29 from committee along party lines before the full body approved it on a 87-54 vote. The Senate now must either approve the House changes or appoint a conference committee to iron out the differences.
The House version also requires the Secretary of State to submit a report by Jan. 15 on how the office can let town clerks enter absentee ballots into vote counters before Election Day, and how to provide Internet access to all polling places.
The report would also assess whether the state can implement automatic registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles, recommend how to use public service announcements to increase early registration and detail which states require identification for same-day voters. The bill does not contain a voter ID requirement.
Gov. Peter Shumlin supports the bill and would review its specific language once it gets to his desk, according to his spokesperson, Scott Coriell. House Speaker Shap Smith and Secretary of State Jim Condos also support the bill.
“With this bill, there will no longer be this arbitrary registration deadline that basically served to restrict access,” said Julia Michel, a lobbyist for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “It’s removing a barrier to vote.”
Many who oppose the bill in both the House and the Senate are concerned about potential fraud.
Annette Cappy, the town clerk in Brattleboro, told House Government Operations last month that she would prefer to require same-day voters to provide proof of residency.
Will Senning, director of elections for the Secretary of State’s Office, argued that requiring identification or proof of address such as a utility bill could disenfranchise people who don’t pay utilities or homeless Vermonters who may seek to vote.
