RNLA Quoted in Politifact on Online Voter Registration

RNLA Executive Director Michael Thielen was quoted today in Politifact about online registration, particularly regarding claims that it can help prevent fraud, save money, and is more efficient than paper based registration. RNLA articulated its position on online voter registration in detail in its response to the report of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration (PCEA) which can be found here. Thielen's quote in Politifact summarizes RNLA's position nicely, that RNLA supports online registration only under specific conditions: "When designed and implemented properly, online registration can be a more secure, accurate and cost-efficient way of doing voter registration."

It appears that Florida is seriously considering adopting online voter registration and that can be a very good thing if they design the system with proper safeguards to ensure the integrity of the system. It can make registration easier while protecting the syste from fraud. It is imperative Florida lawmakers  review RNLA's conditions for online registration found in its PCEA response to avoid making mistakes. In sum:

[W]hile the RNLA Task Force supports online registration, the system used to undertake online registration must include certain safeguards to protect the integrity of the electoral system. It is imperative that states take steps to design a system that positively determines the identity of online applicants, ensures only eligible voters can utilize such a system, protects against cyber-attacks, leaves the registration determination in the hands of the proper registration official, and ensures the transmission of a valid signature.

Most states have followed these steps but some liberal groups are complaining that the same security measures needed to ensure online voter registration's integrity leave some voters out of the process. These liberal groups ignore the fact that the traditional paper-based registration system available to all eligible voters is not going anywhere.