In 1993, Congress passed what is known to most people as the Motor Voter Law, which required states to provide for voter registration as part of the driver’s license process. Of equal importance is another provision that created a federal form that states would have to “accept and use” to register their voters for federal elections, although they are also permitted to use their own forms as an alterative.
Congress wanted to be sure that the form had the basic information needed, but that it not be made too complicated and burdened with unnecessary requests for information. The statute set forth what can be required and allowed the Federal Election Commission (and since 2002, the Election Assistance Commission) to approve state requests to supplement the form.
