A bill that will make registering to vote as easy as applying for a driver’s license is making its way through the Tennessee legislature. The legislation would make elections more accessible and convenient in Tennessee, which ranks No. 3 among states that make voting most difficult for their residents.
Released last October, a University of North Illinois study used 30 voting criteria, including registration restrictions, to determine how much time and effort states require of voters. The study found voting easiest in Oregon, which introduced automatic registration in 2016 and that year registered more than 50,000 new voters, half under age 35.
Through the Tennessee legislation, every eligible person applying to the state Department of Motor Vehicles for a driver’s license or license renewal will be automatically registered to vote. Besides enlarging the state’s electorate, the new system will cost less, increase accuracy and security of voter rolls, and curb the fraud potential. At a time when too many states are restricting voting rights, Tennessee would be making a commitment to removing barriers to voting.
Sharon Alexander, co-president
League of Women Voters of Chattanooga
Columnist Cleaveland an asset to community
Kudos, belatedly, to the TFP for having moved Clif Cleaveland’s column to the Sunday Chattanooga Times editorial page. Whatever his subject, be it medical or political or human interest, we are the beneficiaries of extraordinary intelligence, integrity and compassion.
His recent two articles addressing the inaccuracies and danger of the MMR vaccine/autism scare were particularly informative. He is an invaluable asset to this newspaper and to our community.
Nina Brock
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Waiting for the left-wing apology tour
Where are the apologies for the results of the Mueller report?
This started with a fake dossier created by Russians, bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton. Then used by corrupt FBI and DOJ officials to illegally investigate a sitting president.
Who are the guilty parties?
1. Hillary, Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Obama, etc., FBI agents, DOJ officials.
2. The Fake News Media. It makes freedom of the press look like a license to defame and slander.
3. Opinion columnists like David Cook, editorial writers like Pam Sohn and cartoonists like Clay Bennett who have perpetuated this lie for two years.
4. Lying Democrat politicians who continue to lie to this day. They were caught lying and now they want to continue to obfuscate for political reasons.
5. Forty percent of the public too stupid to see through this stuff.
Those people won’t say “I was wrong” or “I apologize” because they have no sense of honor or fairness. Their hate of Trump has caused a mental illness. They should be ashamed, but they don’t have the character or morality to be ashamed. They are just people who will lie, cheat, steal and hide just to gain power.
Tim Price