THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060612
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Registering to vote just got easier.
Starting today, the state version of the national moter-voter act goes into effect.
That means you can get onto the voter lists by mail, at the Division of Motor Vehicles or at several other state agencies.
Judging from the experience of other states that adopted the system, Virginia should see a boom in its voter registration, said Ann J. Washington, Norfolk's voter registrar.
``Before this, potential voters had to seek us out'' to be sworn in by an official voter registrar, Washington said.
Now, civic leagues can pass out registration forms, which can be filled out and mailed in, she said.
Virginia is one of the last states to implement the federal act, which is aimed at increasing the country's low voter-registration rates.
Gov. George F. Allen refused to implement the act, saying it was an unfunded mandate, but he was overruled in federal court.
The deadline for registering to vote in the May City Council and School Board elections is April 8.
KEYWORDS: VOTER REGISTRATION VIRGINIA VOTING by CNB