Congressman Elijah E. Cummings Urges Maryland General Assembly Leaders to Support Universal Voter Registration Legislation - Maryland Would Be Third State to Adopt Policy

Washington, D.C. (December 14, 2015) — Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) urged President of the Maryland Senate Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. and Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch to support universal voter registration legislation that has been pre-filed for the 2016 legislation session.

Link here to Pre-Filing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/gmd-democrats-propose-automatic-voter-registration/2015/12/11/a3c56c8c-9fad-11e5-a3c5-c77f2cc5a43c_story.html

In a letter to the Democratic leaders, Cummings wrote, “I write today to express my strong support for the creation of a Universal Voter Registration program that would automatically add to state voting rolls all Maryland residents who are eligible to vote.”

Last week, State Senator Roger P. Manno (D-Montgomery) pre-filed legislation to implement Universal Voter Registration in Maryland. If passed, Maryland would be only the third state to adopt the policy.

Cummings continued, “I also believe that Maryland should seize every opportunity to be a national leader in eliminating all impediments that stand between eligible citizens and the voting booth.”

The Congressman noted that any Universal Voter Registration program must use data from several state sources, not just the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) in order to identify citizens eligible to vote. More than 9 percent of U.S. households—and 30 percent of Baltimore households—do not own a vehicle.

“Many Maryland residents who do not own cars have never obtained a driver’s license and limiting a Universal Voter Registration program to the use of data collected by the MVA would exclude these individuals from the voter rolls,” Cummings wrote.

View the full text below:

December 14, 2015

The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.
President of the Maryland Senate
State House, H-107
Annapolis, MD 21401

The Honorable Michael E. Busch
Maryland House Speaker
State House, H-101
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear President Miller and Speaker Busch:

I write today to express my strong support for the creation of a Universal Voter Registration program that would automatically add to state voting rolls all Maryland residents who are eligible to vote.

In a speech he gave earlier this year in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, then-Attorney General Eric Holder warned that:

It has been clear in recent years that fair and free access to the franchise is still, in some areas, under siege. Shortly after the historic election of President Obama in 2008, numerous states and jurisdictions attempted to impose rules and laws that had the effect of restricting Americans’ opportunities to vote—particularly, and disproportionately, communities of color.

Numerous studies have documented the measures states have adopted to restrict citizens’ – particularly low-income and minority citizens’ – access to the voting booth. For example, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of this month, 36 states had adopted measures requiring residents to show a proof of identification at the polls, and these laws were in force in 32 states. Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report concluding that voter identification laws have led to a statistically significant decrease in voter turnout.

At the federal level, I support a range of legislation that would strengthen voting rights throughout the nation. For example, I am a cosponsor of the Voter Empowerment Act (H.R. 12), which would amend the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act to improve all facets of the voting process.

I also believe that Maryland should seize every opportunity to be a national leader in eliminating all impediments that stand between eligible citizens and the voting booth. For that reason, I believe the General Assembly should adopt legislation during the upcoming session that will create a Universal Voter Registration program.

Such a program should utilize data from a variety of state sources, not just the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), to identify citizens who are eligible to vote. A recent study released by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that in 2012, more than 9% of U.S. households did not have a private vehicle, and in Baltimore, more than 30% of households lacked a vehicle. Many Maryland residents who do not own cars have never obtained a driver’s license and limiting a Universal Voter Registration program to the use of data collected by the MVA would exclude these individuals from the voter rolls.

Thank you for your steadfast efforts to ensure that every eligible Maryland resident is able to cast a ballot. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support the creation of a Universal Voter Registration program in our state.

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress