San Diego

California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Bill Approving Automatic Voter Registration

 Gov. Jerry Brown has approved a law to begin automatically registering eligible voters when they obtain or renew their drivers' licenses.

Brown announced Saturday that he had signed AB1461 by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, which aims to boost California's voter rolls by registering visitors to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The legislation is supported by Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla. It follows Oregon's move earlier this year to adopt the nation's first automatic voter registration law.

Lawmakers approved the so-called motor voter law this summer and have held events around the state encouraging Brown to sign it.

Some Republican lawmakers say voters shouldn't be forced to sign up. They warn that automatic registration could lead to voter fraud if people who are not eligible are accidentally registered.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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