The alteration in voter registration made by the governor of Pennsylvania has angered Trump, reminiscent of the conflicts during the 2020 election.

Donald Trump is once again focusing on Pennsylvania’s voting regulations.

He never stopped attacking court decisions on mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic, falsely claiming it as a reason for his 2020 loss in the crucial battleground state. Now, the former Republican president is seizing on a decision by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to bypass the Legislature and start automatic voter registration.

The blowback has echoes of the 2020 election, when Trump and his allies relentlessly criticized decisions by the state’s Democratic-majority Supreme Court. That included extending the deadline to receive mail-in ballots over warnings that the pandemic had slowed postal service deliveries.

The Republicans have aligned with Trump in criticizing Shapiro’s decision, arguing that there are insufficient measures in place to prevent minors or undocumented immigrants from registering. The Shapiro administration disagrees with this viewpoint.

“I cannot reword”

Certain Republican legislators are making threats of legal action, arguing that Shapiro should have obtained approval from the Legislature, which is currently divided between the two parties. At the same time, both national and state Republican parties are requesting an explanation from Shapiro’s administration regarding their plans to prevent non-U.S. citizens and minors from registering to vote.

Ronna McDaniel, Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, expressed her dissatisfaction with Shapiro’s sudden rule change, which she deemed unclear and unnecessary. The change comes just weeks before the upcoming November 7 election, where a state Supreme Court seat is at stake. McDaniel criticized the first-term governor, accusing him of prioritizing airtime on MSNBC over ensuring the security and transparency of Pennsylvania elections.

Shapiro is also attempting to benefit from his decision. Following the announcement on September 19, he made several appearances on national cable TV and used it as an opportunity to raise funds, presenting it as a significant step forward for democracy.

Shapiro expressed in a fundraising email that this would be beneficial for a large number of individuals from Pennsylvania to have their opinions acknowledged, regardless of their preferred candidate or personal beliefs.

Democrats contended that Shapiro was well within his legal authority to authorize automatic voter registration. One election lawyer, Adam Bonin, said Republicans criticizing it are simply seeking cover, should Trump lose in 2024, and are using it to raise campaign donations.

States began enacting automatic voter registration systems in 2015, and versions of it have now spread to 24 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most of those states are left-leaning, but they also include Republican-controlled Alaska, Georgia and West Virginia.

According to the state elections office, Georgia adopted this measure in 2016 and has observed a rise in voter registrations without encountering any issues related to non-U.S. citizens registering to vote. A survey conducted on multiple states that have implemented automatic voter registration also yielded comparable results.

When people in Pennsylvania visit a driver’s license center to get a new license or renew an existing one, they will encounter a notification on the computer. This notification informs them that they will automatically be registered to vote, unless they choose not to.

In the past, users were prompted to indicate their desire to register by checking a box labeled “yes.”

The Shapiro administration has stated that they have implemented measures to ensure that registration is not offered to individuals who are not U.S. citizens or those who are under the age of 18.

In 2017, certain safeguards were implemented to address a long-standing issue that potentially allowed a few thousand non-U.S. citizens to unintentionally register for voting. It is estimated that individuals in this category voted in approximately 35 elections over a span of 17 years, totaling around 540 ballots.

Conservatives in Alaska have made efforts to repeal the automatic registration system, citing concerns about potential fraud or illegal voting. In certain states, Republicans argue against the adoption of automatic registration, claiming similar reasons.

Election experts have not found any significant fraud or illegal voting during the process. The primary issues encountered are typically minor, such as initial difficulties in matching outdated data or providing unclear instructions to individuals registering or updating their voter information.

Advocates argue that maintaining voter rolls through this method offers enhanced security, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

Tammy Patrick, CEO of programs for the National Association of Election Officials, emphasized the significance of examining the benefits of this specific reform. Numerous advantages have led many states to adopt similar measures.

According to Charles Stewart III, the director of the Election Data and Science Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, research conducted did not reveal any significant benefits for any specific group, except for a minor increase in Republican registration and that of rural white voters.

Stewart mentioned that it is important for both Democrats and Republicans to remember that this will not have the significant impact that everyone expects, hopes for, or fears.

According to government data, approximately 8.6 million individuals in Pennsylvania are registered voters, whereas slightly over 1 million people who are at least 18 years old remain unregistered.

The adoption of automatic registration has been praised by left-leaning organizations. The New Pennsylvania Project expressed their belief that this will be particularly beneficial in narrowing the voter registration disparity, especially in communities of color where the disparity is most significant.

In a study conducted in 2021, researchers from the Public Policy Institute of California, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Berkeley, found that the implementation of automatic voter registration led to a 3% increase in registration rates in the respective states.

However, the percentage of individuals who actually voted only saw a slight increase of approximately 1%, indicating that the majority of those who registered in this manner did not ultimately participate in the election.

However, even that minor portion could translate to tens of thousands of fresh voters casting their ballots in Pennsylvania, which could have a significant impact on a closely contested election. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden secured victory with a margin of approximately 80,500 votes, whereas Trump emerged as the winner in 2016 with a margin of around 44,200 votes.

Shapiro’s decision may potentially face legal opposition, as it is not uncommon for election law disputes in the state to end up in court.

Leading up to the 2020 election, there was a contentious dispute between Trump’s campaign, state officials, the Democratic Party, and various others regarding the regulations surrounding mail-in voting. Trump expressed concerns that these ballots would negatively impact his chances of winning the election and made unfounded claims about widespread fraud associated with them.

Sam DeMarco, the Allegheny County GOP chairman, stated that he is not prepared to declare that 2024 will mirror 2020. However, DeMarco criticized Shapiro’s implementation of automatic registration, as it lacked hearings, legislation, or a public education process. This absence of transparency only serves to perpetuate conspiracy theories, according to DeMarco.

“I am uncertain about the destination we are heading towards. The severity of the situation will be determined by the actions of certain individuals,” DeMarco expressed. “However, it is crucial for both parties to be prepared since, based on past events, they tend to repeat their behavior.”

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This report was contributed by Christina A. Cassidy, a reporter from the Associated Press based in Atlanta.