| Full title | An Act to establish national voter registration procedures for Federal elections, and for other purposes. |
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| Acronym | NVRA |
| Colloquial name(s) | Motor Voter |
| Enacted by the | 103rd United States Congress |
| Citations | |
| Public Law | Pub.L. 103-31 |
| Stat. | 107 Stat. 77 |
| Codification | |
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| Major amendments | |
| Relevant Supreme Court cases | |
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) (42 U.S.C. § 1973gg), also known as The Motor Voter Act, was signed into effect by United States President Bill Clinton on May 20, 1993, however, compliance did not become mandatory until 1995. The legislation required state governments to allow for registration when a qualifying voter applied for or renewed their driver's license or applied for social services.
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The legislation was initially designed to reduce costs of voting registration by accumulating individual data when applying for a drivers license and or receiving social assistance.[1] The "motor voter" nickname came from the idea that most of the NVRA data was accumulated from applicants renewing or obtaining driver's licenses.[1] Individuals who applied for "agency based" needs such as food stamps, disability services and other social services were eligible for the NVRA program. The intention of the legislation was to encourage greater access to voter registration for the citizens who needed further assistance registering to vote. Also, NVRA allowed for more accessible voter registration through mail-in and individual voter registration drives.
At the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, three states were exempt from compliance because their state constitutions did not allow for compliance; these states were Alaska, Vermont, and Virginia.
This voter registration movement was spearheaded by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward in the early 1980s in response to the Reagan administration. It was believed that through government implementation of more active registration proposals it would increase voter turnout rates which have been on a steady decline since the monumental election of 1896. The NVRA encourages people of all demographics to vote despite their socioeconomic situations and backgrounds.[1] Political parties, in particular Democrats, were hoping that the NVRA would reduce racial disparities and close the electoral gap by including minorities, low income earners and individuals reluctant to vote. The inherent truth that the outcomes of electoral turnout is virtually unknown at any given time; economic factors and voter turnout are crucial in the successful electoral process.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is responsible for administering NVRA for U.S. citizens abroad. FVAP allows eligible citizens to register to vote at 6000 Armed Forces Recruitment Offices nationwide.
In 2004, the Nu Mu Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, held a voter registration drive in DeKalb County, Georgia, from which Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox (Dem.) rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that the fraternity did not follow correct procedures, including obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive. Nu Mu Lambda filed Charles H. Wesley Education Foundation v. Cathy Cox on the basis that the Georgia Secretary of State's long-standing policy and practice of rejecting mail-in voter registration applications that were submitted in bundles and/or by persons other than registrars, deputy registrars, or the individual applicants, violated the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by undermining voter registration drives. A senior U.S. District Judge upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, which also found private entities have a right, under Motor Voter, to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.[2]