Election Day registration's time has come

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It’s an exciting time in politics. Young people are injecting campaigns with energy at a level that hasn’t been seen in the United States in decades.

The Millennial Generation finally is staking its claim to the future, and this should be encouraged.

Two bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature, LB803 and LB991, would do just that by allowing Election Day registration.

Many of those who would benefit are busy college students who didn’t realize in time that they would need to register in Lincoln because they can’t return to their hometowns on a class day.

An analysis by Demos, a national nonprofit policy research organization, showed that allowing registration on Election Day could increase turnout by voters ages 18-25 by 10.6 percent.

Opponents argue that Nebraska’s voter registration laws already are liberal, allowing voters to register by mail 18 days before the election, 10 days if they go in person to the election commission office. Election officials say Election Day registration would mean more work for election workers and could cause lines for everyone waiting to vote.

That sure would be a good problem to have.

This year, close to 50 million potential voters will be 18-31 years old; by 2015, Millennials will be more then a third of the U.S. electorate, the nonpartisan project Young Voter Strategies reports.

Youth turnout set records in Super Tuesday contests. Rock the Vote reported that young voters in Tennessee quadrupled their turnout in 2008, up from 35,000 in 2000 to nearly 140,000 between the ages of 18-29 casting a vote.

Rock the Vote reports a significant increase in young voters downloading registration forms compared with the same period in 2004.

Candidates are taking notice of the trend. Barack Obama was among the first, hiring a national youth vote director last spring. In November, the Clinton campaign launched “Students for Hillary” on campuses and at high schools across California. Daughter Chelsea is a common sight on the campaign trail, including in Lincoln. John McCain almost always hands a microphone to a young person at rallies, The New York Times reports, and Mike Huckabee is doing well with young evangelicals.

In Lancaster County, Election Commissioner David Shively said about the same number of registered voters are ages 17-25 as are 65 and older.

Studies by the American National Election Panel and others have shown that voting is habit-forming. If young people vote this year, they are much more likely to vote in subsequent elections.

Staffing and the possibility of lines at the polls this year are issues that can be overcome with a little planning.

We have much more to gain if the Legislature approves Election Day registration, mainly greater participation by those who are the future.

Nebraskans should embrace this change.