EAVS Deep Dive - Registering to Vote - Voter registration data from the 2016 election cycle

Sep 19, 2026

Examines voter registration as a core foundation of American elections using EAVS data from the 2016 election cycle. Covers how citizens get on the rolls and how election officials maintain them across the national, state, and local levels. Reports that nearly 77 million applications were processed between 2014 and 2016, with most accepted, and highlights that a large share of transactions involved updating existing registrations. Compares registration channels, including paper versus online voter registration, and analyzes the role of DMV agencies as well as automatic and same-day registration trends.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Voter registration in the EAVS

Getting on the Rolls and Updating Information

Where, When, and How People Register

Online Voter Registration

Motor Voter

Automatic Voter Registration and Same Day Registration

EAVS The EAC administers the biennial Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) to collect state-by-state data on the administration of federal elections. In June of 2017, the EAC released the mostrecent survey with data from the 2016 election. This survey contains the most comprehensive data about trends in election administration in the United States and provides these numbers at the national, state, and local level. This brief is part of a series of “deep dives” into the EAVS data that will provide an in-depth look at a variety of issues related to administering elections and use data to help better understand these issues. Deep Dive RegisteringtoVote Voter registration is the backbone of American elections. How citizens get on voter rolls and how these rolls are maintained by election officials is an ongoing and critical part of the voting process. This EAVS deep dive examines voter registration data from the 2016 election cycle across the nation. Getting on the Rolls and Updating Information From after the November 2014 election until the November 2016 election, states reported election officials received more than 77 1 Voter registration applications processed 7.3% 3%rejected duplicate 6.8% other, not categorized 37.3% previously unregistered 45.6% previously registered, updating information million voter registration applications nationwide. Of these 77 million, nearly 65 million, or about 83 percent of all applications were accepted by election officials. 5.6 million were duplicates of registrations already on voter lists, and approximately 2.6 million applications were rejected.1 Of the 65 million accepted applications, nearly half -35 million, or approximately 46 percent-were current registrants updating their information, such as a change of address, a name change, or a change in party affiliation. There were almost 29 million new registration applications (37 percent of all applications) that were processed and added to voter rolls. This data highlights a sometimes overlooked part of the registration process – that the plurality of registration transactions is often people updating their information, not new registrants. Where, When, and How People Register People register to vote or update their information in a number of ways and ata wide variety of locations. Until fairly recently, voter registration was a process While paper is still the primary way citizens register to vote, online voter registration accounts for an increasing number of applications and is more broadly available to voters with each passing year. done entirely by paper and then returned by mail, in person, or through a third-party registration group. While paper is still the principal way citizens register to vote, over the past 15 years, more and more states have begun offering the option to register online. Online voter registration Online voter registration allows those eligible to complete and submit a registration application or update to their information entirely online, with no paper involved for the voter and no returning the form by mail or in person. Arizona was the first state to offer online voter registration (OVR) in 2002. In 2008, it was offered in two states, 13 states offered it in 2012 and 31 states and District of Columbia did so in 2016. Currently, 35 states and the District of Columbia offer OVR. Three more states, including Florida, have passed legislation allowing OVR but have not yet implemented it. Leading up to the 2012 general election, in the 13 states offering online voter registration, OVR applications were 5.2 percent of all applications. In ten of these states, OVR applications accounted for over 10 percent of all applications. Prior to the 2016 general election, the number of states offering OVR more than doubled and the rate of OVR applications more than tripled to 17.4 percent of all applications. Nearly 13.5 million applications were subm

FAQs

What does the EAVS deep dive focus on regarding elections?

It focuses on voter registration and how citizens get on voter rolls and how election officials maintain those rolls using EAVS data from the 2016 election cycle.

How many voter registration applications were processed and what was the acceptance rate?

States reported more than 77 million applications, with nearly 65 million accepted by election officials (about 83%).

What share of voter registration applications came from online registration and how did that change from 2012 to 2016?

Online voter registration grew from 5.2% of applications in the 13 states offering it in 2012 to 17.4% of applications in the broader 2016 period, with nearly 13.5 million online submissions.

Sep 19, 2026

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