Google data suggest millions of Americans are prevented fromvoting by early registration deadlines

Election laws are not uniform across the U.S.; many states differ in their approaches to when you are able to register to vote, and whether you can vote on Election Day. In new research, Alex Street examines the impact of legislation which prevents people from registering to vote in the lead up to the election. Using data on Google searches for “voter registration”, and comparing this with voter registration data he finds that if registration had been allowed up to and including Election Day, then between three and four million people could have registered to vote, which would have increased turnout by 3 percent.