Left turn

REFORMS that originate on the west coast have such a distinctive tilt that it is sometimes called the left coast. So with Republicans holding the reins in both houses of Congress, it is no surprise that a new crusade to alter voter registration has gained a foothold in two western states. Thanks to new laws passed in Oregon and California, residents will soon be automatically registered to vote when they get or renew a driving licence or state identification card. Under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, states have to offer citizens the option to register when they apply for such documents. Now, instead of “opting in” to vote, residents in California and Oregon will have to “opt out” of registration.

The movement is gaining momentum nationwide, with legislators in 16 more states pushing similar bills. But it also reflects a partisan conflict. On the whole, Democrats want voting made easier because they believe many newly registered voters would be young, poor and/or minorities—all groups that favour their candidates. For just the same reasons, Republicans think automatic registration is pernicious. No Republican lawmakers voted for the bill in Oregon. Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, vetoed an automatic-registration bill passed by the state legislature, dismissing it as “thinly veiled political gamesmanship.” Over the past couple of years, Republicans across the country have launched a campaign to tighten voting laws, requiring extra ID at the polls and purging voter rolls.