New Voter Registrations Have Plummeted Due to COVID-19

Voter registration rates in April and May of 2020 have plummeted in relation to the rates in the same months in 2016. Declines in voter registration rates have been as significant as 75% in some states. 

This decrease is likely credited to the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic has caused the closure of schools and offices including many DMVs and the cancellation of nearly all spring in-person voter registration drives. 

New voter registrations declined by 60% or more in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia, comparing April 2016 and April 2020 numbers, based on data publicly reported by the state Secretaries of State or provided to The Civics Center.

The same phenomenon occurred in Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Utah. In these states, growth in total registrations during April 2020 was more than 75% lower than during the same period in 2016.  

To see the high voter turnout numbers in November, there needs to be a huge increase in voter registration in the months ahead. This is especially important at a time when democracy is being threatened by a pandemic.

For Florida and Virginia, new registration data is publicly reported on the state Secretary of State's website. For Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas state Secretaries of State provided data on new registrations to The Civics Center. For Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, state Secretaries of State publicly report monthly total registrations, and the calculation of new registrations assumes that differences in total registrations are attributable to differences in new registrations.