Same-day voter registration raises Question 1 in Maine

During the 2000 Presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore, there was major controversy involving the identification verification and voting process of the Florida polls. Similarly, questionable voting practices continue to happen in state-level elections. According to the Main Heritage Policy Center, current legislation regarding identification verification for voting booths is too vague to efficiently restrict fraudulent activity. "In three of our last 10 general elections, there were actually more registered voters than voting-age citizens," said MHPC CEO Lance Dutson to The Portland Press Herald. Currently in the state of Maine, the law permits civilians to vote without having to present a driver's license or Social Security number. Those that simply provide a utility bill are able to register to vote, and MHPC says without clerks verifying identities manually, voting will continue to be vulnerable to fraudulence. In Maine, a major cause of voter fraud is the same-day registration process, which allows residents to register to vote the day of an election – a process which, according to MHPC, invites an abundance of fraudulent votes. In the upcoming elections in Maine, Question 1 addresses this issue and voters will decide whether or not same-day voting should be allowed.