Editorial: Easier voter registration is better for everyone

The more people vote, the more votes count.

It shouldn’t matter what party someone joins. It shouldn’t matter whether someone picks no party at all. Ideally, everyone would cast a ballot. Everyone would have their say.

That should be a point on which everyone agrees. But there are no points on which everyone agrees anymore.

On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced an executive action that would streamline a process that was already in use. The new policy just turns it on its head.

For years, when visiting a state office to get a driver’s license or a photo identification card, people were faced with a question on the little computer screen.

Do you want to register to vote?

It was offered as an option — a simple step that let you take advantage of one office to handle a second activity. For anyone who has had to wait in line in a government office, it was a win to have the ability to kill two proverbial birds with one red-tape stone.

Shapiro’s action changes the question subtly. It goes from asking if you want to register to assuming you do — but still offering the ability to opt out if it isn’t something someone wants to do.

It is a good idea because it can address concerns that have existed on both sides of the political spectrum.

Republicans long have advocated for better identification at polls. This would make sure that even more voters have official state-issued IDs, countering an argument from many Democrats.

Republicans also have advocated for better security around the process. Registering via a state system in a state office would seem more secure; people registering as part of licensure also would have to provide proof of identity.

There has, however, been pushback.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, has bristled at the process being done unilaterally by the governor rather than via action by lawmakers. Republican Committee of Allegheny County Chairman Sam DeMarco sees it as hypocritical given Democratic objections to voter ID.

“This smacks of an attempt to stem the tide of Republican momentum,” he said.

There is nothing that stops legislators from taking steps to refine the process to their liking. There is nothing that stops both parties from continuing to encourage registration and to encourage their supporters to vote.

But, in the meantime, why is it ever a bad thing to have more people prepared to exercise their right and responsibility to vote?