Majority pick non-traditional registration

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- A majority of U.S. voters registered by mail, fax, e-mail or through a motor vehicle agency from 2006 through 2008, a U.S. agency reported Wednesday.

The federal Election Assistance Commission issued its report in accordance with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, the agency said in a release. The report presents information provided by the states on the number of registered voters, the registration process and voter registration list maintenance, and is available at www.eac.gov.

During the two-year time period, a plurality of voters, 30.1 percent, applied for registration at motor vehicle agencies, and 28.8 percent by mail, fax or e-mail, the report said. Still, 14.9 percent applied the old-fashioned way in person at elections offices.

About 4.4 percent applied through other state agencies; 3.4 percent, advocacy groups; 1.6 percent, public assistance agencies; 1.1 percent, the Internet; 0.2 percent, disability offices; and 0.1 percent armed forces recruitment offices.

The remaining 15 percent was described by the states as using "other sources."

States also reported at least 189 million voters were eligible and registered for the November 2008 general election, and of the 60 million voter registration forms received, nearly 24.6 million were from new voters. That was up from 17.3 million reported in 2006.

But the report said 12.7 million inactive voters were removed from voter registration lists after the 2006 general election through the 2008 general election. The NVRA allows states to remove voters who have not voted in two consecutive federal general elections and failed to respond to a confirmation notice from an elections office.