Cheyanne Tull

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Twenty states, as well as Washington, D.C., in the United States, allow voter registration on Election Day. Kansas is not one of those states.

Online registration must be completed 21 days before Election Day. Registration by mail must be postmarked 21 days before Election Day, and in-person registration must be completed 21 days before Election Day.

People in support of allowing voter registration on Election Day argue that it increases turnout because more people are registering to vote. They also think it allows for updated or correct voter polls because it is easier to monitor the people that come in registering to vote and then therefore adding to ballots. In some ways, it aligns with election security because it allows voters the right to vote on Election Day and be monitored in person as they register to vote.

Voter registration should not be allowed on Election Day as I think it threatens election security. There is a process that comes with registering to vote, and when done in person, mistakes could be made. This also puts an administrative burden on election officials because they have to wait longer to count votes and make sure it is accurate.

In addition to this, it encourages ill-informed voting because people may come to the polls to vote without any education on who they are voting for. This is damaging because it could put someone in an office or leadership position they cannot handle.

Regardless of your views on when voters should be able to register, it’s best to get informed, do your own research and register to vote as early as possible. You can get more information on voter information and how to register to vote on the Kansas Secretary of State website.

To check your voter registration status, you can check on the Kansas voter registration website.