Ideas for revamping of the voter registration system

The unique ID is a good idea. But they could simply use the social security number. However, then they still would have to be able to match it up immediately and up-to-date to avoid that somebody travels around to vote on the same day or through several absentee votes. Mail forwarding changes won't really work, because you can submit those without verification that you actually lived at that address you are supposively moving from or going to live at the new address you claim to move to, nor do they verify that you are indeed the person mail forwarding is requested for. Having the census bureau do the job also has its caveats, because during the last census they counted some people double. I know, because we got both forms and physically appeared at our address to have us fill out the second form, even though the address on the form did not even quite match the address of our house. They accidentally had added a one to the number, that housenumber did not exist. The only way you could get more reliable voter information is to have everybody officially register with city hall when they move to an area and unregister in the old area. That's how it is done in Europe. People get a voter card a couple of weeks before the election with the information on where they have to go to vote. When they get there, they have to show the voter card and proper identification to be allowed to vote. The name is checked off the list of eligible voters. You cannot get more than one voting card as the move-to community will always check with the move-from community that you officially unregistered there. You also can only vote in the area of your primary residence, which has to be officially declared when residence is established anywhere (primary or secondary).

It is an interesting idea but I think it would require a constitutional amendment in order to be instituted. Article I Section 2 states that the qualifications for voting for the House are based on the state standards for the state legislatures. Amendment 17 of the Constitution spells out the same voting requirements for the Senate. Article 2 Section 1 gives the state control of voting standards for members of the electoral college. The only Amendments describing any other restrictions or rules on state voting were the 15th (right to vote regardless of race), 19th (right to vote regardless of gender) and the 26th (voting age to 18). I do not believe that the states would accept this limitation on their powers as they all have different view on elector qualifications (i.e. felon voting, citizenship status, mental health etc...). I also believe that the initial constitutional set up was another check placed on the centralization of power in the federal government. The framers of the Constitution were very interested in limiting the power of the federal government. I do agree with you though that the states should more aggressively control the elections. I do not see the imposition of requiring voters to provide valid identification prior to voting. I think people found aiding or committing voter fraud ( i.e. Acorn) should serve serious jail time (20 years or more) if convicted. I do not think the government that can not even control the massive fraud in the social security system would do any better in managing voter fraud.

Our state does not have voter registration - you show up at your polling place with your drivers license or picture ID and vote.