Dem Rep. Keith Ellison: ‘I’ve Often Asked Myself Why You Should Have to Register to Vote’

While discussing contentious voting laws in the United States, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) wondered: Why does anyone need to register to vote in the first place?

Speaking earlier this month at the U.S. Vote Foundation’s Voting and Elections Summit in Washington, D.C., the Democratic lawmaker asserted that there must be a bipartisan effort to “make voting easier.”

Pointing to unnamed other countries with laxer restrictions, Ellison asked, “Why should voting be so difficult? Tuesday? Who thought that up? I mean the fact is, is that there’s wide variation in when people can vote. You can’t necessarily register to vote on Election Day.”

He added: “I’ve often asked myself why you should have to register to vote. Why shouldn’t it be automatic?”

Much of Ellison’s address focused on conservative efforts to impose new voter identification laws.

Watch the clip below, via U.S. and Overseas Vote Foundation‘s YouTube account:

[h/t Grabien]
[Image via YouTube/screengrab]

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