A recent editorial posed the question: "What's the argument against automatic voter registration?" ("Make turnout great again," July 21).
Here is an argument that should be considered. In many jurisdictions the burden of taking an issue to referendum involves acquiring a certain percentage of registered voters' signatures on a petition. With automatic registration, the voter rolls would swell, making this more difficult.
Petitioning to get an issue on the ballot is hard enough as it is.
If automatic registration becomes a reality, the percentage of signatures required to put an issue to referendum should either be reduced or some other measurement should be used to qualify a petition for inclusion on the ballot.
While many believe that it should be easier to register, it should not come at the expense of the public's right to have legislation considered on their behalf even though the legislative body may not favor it.
Joe Kochenderfer, Havre de Grace