Lazy, disinterested will soon be registered to vote (Opinion)

It wasn't difficult to register to vote even before the Motor Vehicle Commission got involved. For years it's been as simple as being asked when conducting business at Motor Vehicles if you would like to register to vote while you're there. All you have to do is answer yes. Bam. You're a registered voter.

For Democratic lawmakers that wasn't enough. For a long time they've been trying a scheme to get legislation passed that says when you apply for a driver's license or non-driver ID you will be automatically registered to vote without being asked. The only way to avoid it is to go out of your way to tell them not to do it. It's called a negative check-off. It's generally used as a system to get apathetic people to join your cause. This is no different.

By making it even easier to be a registered voter the Democrats are counting on the lazy and ill-informed to be more likely to back Democrats than Republicans. Otherwise they wouldn't be pushing for this. This is not altruism on their part. The scheme was shot down by former Gov. Christie. But now with a progressive like Phil Murphy as governor, he is signing it into law Tuesday.

Before its passage lawmakers tinkered with it even more. The version becoming law now says while NJ Motor Vehicle Commission will be required to automatically register people to vote, all other state agencies that the public shares documents or personal data with will be able allowed to join in the program and automatically register those people to vote as well. Even the welfare department. Even the parole board. Now do you see why I say the Democrats believe this would favor them?

When we already have a system that makes it incredibly easy to register to vote, this law is not only unnecessary, it's self-serving on the part of Democrats and dangerous. While it's not a requirement to care about your community or be informed on issues in order to vote, wouldn't that be the healthiest thing? This terrible law will shove the right to vote straight into the pockets of the lazy and disinterested. Those who couldn't care less to lift a finger to exercise their right to vote will be pushed one step closer to the voting booth. In close and controversial elections with stronger than usual get-out-the-vote pushes this will matter.

How do you feel? Is this new law in Jersey registering people to vote who didn't care to do so on their own a good idea? Take our poll.

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