Those of us who are residents and citizens, who by birth or naturalization have a right to vote, should not have to run a governmental maze to exercise that right. On the contrary, government officials and their bureaucracies are mere instrumentalities of a popular sovereignty, and their officiousness and obstacles at best offend, and at worst truly transgress, the rights of free men and women.
I’d not require anyone to vote, as it would be an infringement on one’s free choice. It seems right, however, that government at all levels that takes millions or billions in taxes each year should devote a portion therefrom to assuring that citizens are properly registered to vote. Automatic registration – with an easy remedy to correct bureaucrats’ mistakes – seems among the least one might expect of government.
A citizen should not owe voter registration paperwork to government; government should provide registration to assure that citizens may vote with the minimum of effort or difficulty.