NBC News " The Rachel Maddow" - Transcript: California Motor Voting Law

Interview

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ALEX PADILLA, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you for the
invitation, Rachel.

And great point, the exact number, by the way, is an estimated 6
million new Californians on the voter rolls if we can adopt that Oregon law
here in California, which is frankly simply modernizing the current motor
voter law that a lot of us are familiar with.

MADDOW: How hard would it be to do? I mean, the reason it`s so
important in California is not necessarily because of the partisan
outcomes. I`m sure we could extrapolate some partisan outcomes from this,
although they don`t seem like the most important thing, and they don`t seem
particularly clear.

The reason California seems so important is it`s just so freaking many
people. I mean, adding 6 million people, how hard would it be for the
state to do?

PADILLA: Not difficult at all. In fact, what we`re talking about is
modernizing the motor voter law that`s been on the books for more than 20
years, when motor voter was first passed in Washington, D.C. -- let`s
remember what the fundamental premise was. That government has a role to
play in facilitating people being registered to vote because that`s good
for our democracy.

In this day and age, knowing that we have the information being
gathered at the DMV when people are applying for a driver`s license or
renewing a driver`s license, let`s share that information much like our
online voting registration tools that exist in many states currently does,
and let`s make voter registration an opt-out. We have a fundamental right
if you`re eligible to be registered to vote and cast a ballot, we don`t
have to go through the hoops to opt into or right to free speech, and we
don`t have to opt in to our right to be not be discriminated against, we
shouldn`t have to opt into be on the voter rolls.

So, by creating opt out versus in, we facilitate people`s
participation and they don`t have to miss any deadlines to be able to vote
in the next election.

MADDOW: What do you think the odds are? What do you think the
likelihood is that you`re going to be able to get this passed? What kind
of a timeline? What kind of a task list do you have to get through in
order to get this done in California?

PADILLA: So, to implement the measure, it does require approval of
the legislature and the governor. The good news is the bill working its
way through the legislature has cleared the first house, state assembly and
will now be considered by the state Senate in the next couple of months.
And hopefully on the desk of the governor come August or September.

I feel confident not just because it`s good for the democracy, but
frankly, from an administration`s standpoint, I want all the states in
America to hear this -- it`s probably a more secure way of registering
voters and more efficient way of registering voters. And for government
and others, imagine the time, energy, resources we invest in registering
people to vote, we can now shift that into voter education and improving
voter turnout.

MADDOW: Alex Padilla, secretary of state of the great state of
California, fascinating and will be hugely consequential if this happens.
Thanks for helping us understand what you`re working on. Appreciate it,
sir.

PADILLA: Thank you, Rachel.

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