Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is working to include Pennsylvania among the states that implement automatic voter registration, claiming that legislative approval is not necessary for the move. On the other side, ex-President Donald Trump is encouraging the GOP and the Republican National Committee (RNC) to challenge this development.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump posted, “Once more, Pennsylvania is in the spotlight! Governor Josh Shapiro, a figure from the extreme left, has recently declared a move to Automatic Voter Registration. This is catastrophic for the electoral prospects of Republicans, including yours truly, the President you love!”
According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 other states—either solidly Democratic or crucial in presidential elections—as well as Washington D.C., have already adopted automatic voter registration.
Trump further elaborated on Truth Social, “This act is an affront to the Constitution and should be met with stern opposition from Republican leaders in both Pennsylvania and the federal government. The RNC, led by Ronna McDaniel, needs to focus on this issue rather than irrelevant debates where I lead by a wide margin.”
Trump also used the opportunity to critique his primary Republican contenders scheduled for a debate this week in California. These include Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
In his continued post, Trump said, “The importance of states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin outweighs the relevance of individuals like Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Ron DeSantis. I urge immediate legal action and insist on competent lawyers this time!”
Echoing his 2020 objections to widespread mail-in voting, Trump called on the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Legislature to prevent the state from emulating other Democratic-leaning and battleground states that have been increasingly distancing themselves from Republican ideals.
“The GOP in Pennsylvania must not allow this to transpire,” continued Trump. “This would be calamitous for our country, which is already suffering under the misguided policies of radicals, Marxists, and so-called fascists who excel only at election manipulation. Time to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
As part of Shapiro’s initiative, the process of registering to vote will be simplified for individuals obtaining or renewing a driver’s license in the state. In driver’s license centers, computer screen prompts will guide individuals through the voter registration process, giving them the choice to register then and there. In the past, these screens would first ask if the individual wished to register to vote.
Since the passage of the National Voter Registration Act in 1993 by Congress, it has been mandatory for states to offer the option of voter registration at driver’s license facilities.
