Automatic voter registration (AVR) flips the default: instead of citizens proactively filling out registration forms, states use existing agency interactions (typically DMVs) to register eligible voters automatically, with an opt-out. Oregon was the first state to implement AVR in 2016; over 20 states and DC now have some form.
Studies of AVR rollouts find substantial increases in registration among young voters and movers, modest turnout gains, and high data-quality (because agency records are typically more accurate than self-reported registration forms).
Critics worry about non-citizens being inadvertently registered, especially in states that issue driver's licenses to non-citizens, and about the privacy implications of cross-agency data sharing.