One of the other groups is pursuing this (and electronic voting). I think that's the right long term solution!

Disagree with you on electronic voting. I know a little bit about this one.

There is no way to both protect the secret ballot and ensure a public vote count. Can't be done. And most systems (proposed, hypothetical, existing) don't do either.

I also disagree with electronic voting, but am a huge supporter of: - automatic registration - election days as (paid!) holidays - national no-restrictions on requesting absentee (some states require you to vote in-person unless you have a reason explaining why you literally can't)

Getting really into the weeds here...

While I agree with everything you just said, I also know there's only two sure-fire ways to increase participation:

#1 Peer pressure

Things like vote.org will help if they close the loop by showing to your peers (bragging rights) that you've voted.

#2 Competitive races

Competitive races require fixes to our gerrymandering and incumbency protection. Maximally competitive districts (totally doable), public financing (will happen sooner or later), proportional voting (tough sell).

> #1 Peer pressure Things like vote.org will help if they close the loop by showing to your peers (bragging rights) that you've voted.

Yeah, I defs remember remember reading about a group that sent out a list of everyone in your neighborhood who voted in past elections with an add-on like, "Make sure you're on this list next year", and they got a whole lot of people registered. I also heard Facebook's "I voted" status-maker increased turnout last time around

Why do you disagree with electronic voting if you support mass absentee voting, which (AFAIK) has the same problems?

I should have asked: if its public, which of your groups is working on universal, automatic registration?

I know Brennan Center, Pew Trusts, ACLU and others have been working this for a while now.

>international norms

You mean like voter ID requirements?

I feel like photo voter id reqs wouldn't be that controversial if there were a "free" (paid with taxes, obz) state-issued id that everyone had access to. You can get passports and state ids made, but they defs cost money.

Most democracies do not have a separate voter registration (bureaucratic) step.

this is not true, AFAIK. There is a process for registering and verifying. the UK requires registration, though you do not need photo ID

also not true in australia

re: UK and Australian

Thanks, I'll followup, see what's what. I hate being wrong.

I would have bet money (or a beer) that both had universal voter registration.

Especially Australian, since I understood their voting is compulsory.

I guess it qualifies as universal voter registration. The voter roll is a separate thing is what I meant. There are forms for registering, but it can be updated automatically by other government data sources. The important thing is updating your primary residence.

No photo id is required to actually vote.

Right, I'm aware. Most democracies do not have voter registration, but do have voter ID requirements.

This is the system you believe we should establish, on the basis that it's the international norm?

Most democracies don't have a byzantine process for obtaining an ID, and proving that you're who you claim you are. So if you can make the ID issuing process in US work as well as it does in, say, Germany, sure, there's no problem with requiring an ID to vote.

I wish you weren't being down voted. You're asking reasonable, technical questions. Without getting into the politics of it all.

I think he's being downvoted mostly because of his tone, which comes across as a bit too snarky.