In a memo by Aaron Strauss, a data scientist with OpenLabs, a new debate is brewing within the Democratic Party over voter registration strategies. 

Strauss suggests a significant shift: rather than broad, inclusive efforts to register young and minority voters — groups historically aligned with Democrats but underrepresented at the polls — he suggests the party should focus on registering only those likely to support Democratic candidates. This strategy comes from concerns that open voter registration is inadvertently benefiting Donald Trump, especially given Joe Biden’s dropping poll numbers among minority voters.

“Indeed, if we were to blindly register nonvoters and get them on the rolls, we would be distinctly aiding Trump’s quest for a personal dictatorship,” Strauss argued in the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post and cited recent polling that showed Trump’s strength among unregistered voters. (Washington Post: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/democrats-spar-over-registration-as-worries-over-young-and-minority-voters-grow/ar-BB1kS1iD) 

Strauss’s memo, which is causing a stir among Democratic circles, questions whether the goal of voter registration should be to maximize turnout overall or to selectively register those from the preferred party. He notes with a growing trend toward Republican candidates among the roughly 20% of unregistered voting-age citizens, a targeted registration efforts ensures maximizing dollars for votes.

Maria Teresa Kumar of Voto Latino, caution against narrowing the focus of registration efforts, warning it could perpetuate biases and harm broader democratic participation. 

The debate highlights the Democratic Party’s challenges in maintaining support among minority voters while navigating a changing Biden/Harris political landscape.