We have analyzed the likely impact on voter turnout should Hawaii adopt Election Day Registration (EDR). Under the system proposed in Hawaii, eligible voters who miss the current 30-day deadline for registering by mail may be able to register to vote on Election Day. The availability of Election Day Registration procedures should give voters who have not previously registered the opportunity to vote. Consistent with existing research on the impact of EDR in the other states that use this process, we find that Election Day Registration would likely lead to substantial increases in voter turnout. We offer the following voter turnout estimates for Hawaii under EDR:
Overall turnout could go up by 5.3 percent.
Turnout among those aged 18 to 25 could increase by 9.2 percent.
Turnout for those who have moved in the last six months could increase by 7.3 percent.
