Strengthen Democracy By Expanding It

(Opinion) Last November, the United States saw record turnout for a midterm election. While this result is on its face a significant achievement, it seems decidedly less so when we recognize that still only half of the voting-eligible population cast a ballot — an estimated 50.3 percent according to the United States Election Project.

To be sure, this represents a marked improvement over the last midterm election in 2014, when only 36.7 percent of eligible voters participated.

Connecticut has fared just slightly better than the country as a whole, with 54.4 percent turnout in 2018 and 42.3 percent in 2014. Still, as a nation whose constitutional system is based on representative democracy, we can and must increase participation in the work of self-governance. Connecticut should help lead the way by expanding access to the ballot right here in the Constitution State.

Already before the General Assembly are many pieces of legislation whose purpose is to expand access to the ballot, and legislators should move quickly to send these bills to Gov. Lamont’s desk for signing. Among these bills is S.J. 14, a measure that, subject to ratification by state voters in 2020, would amend the state constitution to allow early voting. Connecticut could then join the 39 states that currently provide for some form of early voting.

According to a 2008 political science study, early voting can increase turnout by 2 to 4 percent. And in a 2018 survey of 900 New York voters, 79 percent said they would be more likely to vote if the state offered early voting, which New York passed this year. The citizens of Connecticut should have that same opportunity.

Moreover, aside from the prospects for expanding participation, allowing even consistent voters to cast a ballot early would provide tremendous flexibility and convenience that our current system in which we vote on a single Tuesday in November cannot possibly offer. The desirability of this reform is reflected by the fact that at least 42 million people voted early nationwide in the 2016 election. Early voting would make participating easier and provide incentives for new voters to go to the polls.

Another measure the General Assembly is considering, H.B. 5818, would improve Connecticut’s current same-day registration system, which is desperately in need of repair. Under current law, individuals who are in line to vote by 8 p.m. on Election Day may vote after the polls close, but those who are still in line to register at 8 p.m. may not then proceed to vote after polls have closed.

Consequently, in New Haven, where I live, hundreds of prospective voters were at risk of being unable to register and vote before the polls closed last November. Many of the affected individuals were young people, new to Connecticut, who were hoping to vote here for the first time. My law school classmate Brennon Mendez was among the many students and other New Haven residents who experienced this bureaucratic breakdown. Although inadequate staffing contributed to the problem, administrative failures should never prevent anyone from voting.

H.B. 5818 would permit applicants in line to register by 8 p.m. to complete their registration and immediately proceed to vote that night. This bill would ensure that every Connecticut resident who would like to register and vote on Election Day has an equal opportunity to do so.

Finally, the General Assembly should pass S.B. 479, which would make Election Day a state holiday. This bill would promote the importance of voting by clearly identifying one day annually as an occasion for participating in democratic self-governance. Because this idea would be good for working people and good for democracy, it already has broad bipartisan support. According to a Pew poll about making Election Day a national holiday, 71 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans support the proposal. A state holiday would be a good start.

Connecticut would join more than a dozen other states in recognizing Election Day as a state holiday. According to the Council of State Governments, as of 2018, 13 states have established Election Day as a paid holiday for state workers. Although New York is among those states, Connecticut would be the first in New England to make Election Day a state holiday and could set an example for our region.

Together, these measures — allowing early voting, improving same-day registration, and making Election Day a state holiday — would expand access to the ballot and increase voter participation. Let’s empower Connecticut voters and send a message to the nation that the Constitution State is ready to lead the fight to strengthen our democracy.

Sean Foley is a Yale Law School student.