Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro is moving to make Pennsylvania one of the automatic voter registration states, saying he can do it without legislation. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is urging Republicans and the Republican National Committee (RNC) to fight it.
"Pennsylvania is at it again!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The Radical Left Governor, Josh Shapiro, has just announced a switch to Automatic Voter Registration, a disaster for the Election of Republicans, including your favorite President, ME!"
Twenty-three other either deep blue or key presidential election battleground states already have automatic voter registration, along with Washington, D.C., according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"This is a totally Unconstitutional Act, and must be met harshly by Republican Leadership in Washington and Pennsylvania," Trump added in his post. "Likewise, the RNC, and Ronna McDaniel, must spend their time working on this, instead of meaningless Debates where I am up by more than 50 points."
Trump then took shots at his chief GOP primary rivals, who are scheduled to be on the debate stage this week in California, including anti-Trump Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, and others, are far more important than 'Aida,' Sloppy Chris, Lyin' Mike Pence, Nikki 'Birdbrain' Haley, Ron ('Dead Campaign') DeSanctimonious, and the others," Trump continued.
"Start suing now, & get the right lawyers this time!"
In a call similar to those of his 2020 opposition to mass mail-in ballots, Trump wants the Republican-held Pennsylvania Legislature to act to keep the state from following the lead of other blue states and key battlegrounds that have been turning away from the Republican Party.
"The Pennsylvania Republican Party must likewise not let this happen," Trump's statement continued. "It will be a disaster for our Nation, which is being destroyed by these Lunatics, Marxists, & Fascists, whose only real ability is to CHEAT on Elections. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Shapiro's administration is making it easier for a person to register to vote when they are getting or renewing a driver's license in Pennsylvania.
Under the new format, prompts on the computer screens in driver's license centers will take the user to a template to register to vote, leaving it up to them whether to register at that point. Previously, prompts on the screen first asked the user whether they wanted to register to vote.
States have been required to offer voter registration at driver's license centers since Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act in 1993.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.