PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A proposal to automatically register qualified voters is moving through Rhode Island’s legislature.
The state House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to pass the bill. It now moves to the state Senate.
The proposal would automatically register eligible citizens when they’re obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or interacting with other state agencies, such as for social services, unless the person chooses to opt out.
Democratic Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, who backed the proposal, says it will help reduce the bloat in state voter rolls resulting from unintentional, duplicate voter registrations. She says it also reduces the potential for voter fraud.
Republicans had first sought to amend the bill to limit automatic registration to interactions with the state Division of Motor Vehicles, not other agencies. The amendment was rejected.
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