[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill today to require all colleges and universities that receive federal funds to offer voter registration services to students. The bill, The Student Voter Opportunity to Encourage Registration Act, or Student VOTER Act, would designate federally funded colleges and universities as voter registration agencies, much like state departments of motor vehicles.  The bill’s aim is to reverse a decades-long trend of young voters – those between ages 18 and 24 – not participating in the democratic process.

“Many students are first time voters and are often unfamiliar with how to register to vote.  My bill would make registering to vote as simple as registering for class,” Durbin said. “Making registration applications automatic will remove one burden preventing young people from getting involved in the democratic process.”

In the 2004 presidential election, only 47 percent of 18-24 year old citizens voted, compared to 66 percent of citizens 25 and older. This marked the eighth straight presidential contest in which less than half of these young Americans actually participated. In fact, the percentage of young Americans who vote today is lower than it was in 1972 - the first presidential election following the lowering of the voting age to 18.

In 1998, Congress required colleges and universities to make a “good faith effort” to register students to vote and many universities complied. However, according to a 2004 Harvard University study, only 17 percent of colleges and universities nationwide fully comply with the law.

Durbin’s Student VOTER Act would:

• Require all universities that receive federal funds to offer voter registration to students at the same time they register for classes.

• Amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA or “motor voter act”), which was passed by Congress in 1994 and which requires state and local governments to offer voter registration to citizens when they obtain a driver’s license or public assistance benefits.  The student voter bill would designate universities that receive federal funds as “voter registration agencies” for purposes of the NVRA.

Today’s bill will not be burdensome to universities because the requirement to offer voter registration with class registration would mean universities would not have to spend money on voter registration drives, as many do now to comply with the Higher Education Act’s “good faith effort” requirement. 

A bipartisan companion to Senator Durbin’s bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Congressman Steven LaTourette (R-OH).

Several groups, including the United States Students Association (USSA), US Public Interest Research Groups (USPIRG), and the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE), have endorsed this legislation.