Steep drop in Georgia voter registration numbers raises concerns

A poll worker talks to a voter before they vote on a paper ballot on Election Day in Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

A change in a government website that used to make voter registration automatic in Georgia may have resulted in a sharp drop in people registering as they obtained driver’s licenses.

A review of data by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that the share of Georgians who registered through the state Department of Driver Services fell from 79% in 2020 to 39% last year.

Pictures of the department’s website show that before January 2021, drivers had to check a box to decline to register or update their voting information. But the website changed last year so that voters had to click “Yes” or “No” when asked if they wanted to register.