NEW YORK — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, said Sunday that people across the country should be able use their computers, smartphones, or tablets to register to vote.
Gillibrand said the measure would force the 23 states that do not have an online registration system to establish one.
The bill also would expand enrollment access in states that have online systems by making them open to all eligible voters without requiring a state-issued ID.
Gillibrand said nearly half of eligible voters do not have access to online registration. New York has an online system but ranks 47th in the nation in voter registration.
She said provisions of her bill would ease the burden of registering and save states millions of dollars by allowing voters to enter and update information electronically.
In recent years, several states have passed restrictive voter laws, including limits on early voting, purging of voter registration lists, and new voter identification requirements.
Two years ago Gillibrand introduced the Senate version of the Voter Empowerment Act, a pending bill that seeks to strengthen federal voting rights laws by modernizing registration, ensuring equal access to the ballot box, and prohibiting deceptive practices that disenfranchise voters.