OLYMPIA -- Thanks to Automatic Voter Registration, or AVR, the Department of Social and Health Services can now register eligible clients to vote automatically when they apply for benefits.
"At DSHS, our mission is to transform lives and part of how we do that is by being good stewards of the public’s resources," said agency secretary Cheryl Strange. "In the case of Automatic Voter Registration, we’re making efficient use of existing IT programs, fulfilling our state and federal legal obligations and, most importantly, committing ourselves to provide opportunities for people to register to vote so they can make choices about who represents them across a wide range of elective offices."
Using systems that are already in place, DSHS has implemented a solution that enables it to transmit information electronically to the Secretary of State’s Office for eligible DSHS benefits applicants and clients. With AVR, those who meet eligibility requirements to vote will be automatically registered, unless they opt out, reducing the need to complete and mail paper forms.
To be eligible for AVR, clients must be at least 18 years old at the time of general election, have a residential address in Washington state, provide verification of U.S. citizenship and provide a handwritten signature attesting to the truth of the information on their application.
For the last few years, through the National Voter Registration Act, DSHS has offered clients assistance with voter registration when they apply for benefits, at eligibility review and when they change their address. DSHS staff provides voter registration forms to clients and, if requested, mails the completed form to the Secretary of State’s Office. With AVR, customers’ voter information will be sent to the Secretary of State’s Office electronically.
DSHS made 1.48 million offers of voter registration assistance through the NVRA in 2018 and 135,000 accepted assistance. The Secretary of State’s Office has received nearly 36,000 registrations sent on behalf of DSHS clients, and DSHS estimates AVR will increase this number by as much as 17,000.
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