AP file photo Automatic voter registration is being called a “commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars.”

State officials have announced the implementation of an “automatic voter registration” system in Pennsylvania.

At the heart of the change is linking the driver’s license and voting registration processes.

Here’s how the Shapiro administration says it will work: “Commonwealth residents who are obtaining new or renewed driver licenses and ID cards and are eligible to vote will be automatically taken through the voter registration application process unless they opt out of doing so,” according to a statement.

“Previously, eligible voters were required to take additional steps to opt into the voter registration process. Today’s changes also increase access to voter registration by adding instructions in additional languages, for a total of 31 languages.”

“Pennsylvania is the birthplace of our democracy, and as Governor, I’m committed to ensuring free and fair elections that allow every eligible voter to make their voice heard,” Governor Josh Shapiro said. “Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars.

“Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV – all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration. My Administration will keep taking innovative actions like this one to make government work better and more efficiently for all Pennsylvanians.”

Pennsylvania is one of 23 states – some red, some blue – to have taken this step.

The change isn’t about just convenience, though.

“For local election officials, receiving automatic updates when residents obtain new identification – which residents often do when they change their name or address – will enhance efforts continuously underway to maintain the accuracy of Pennsylvania’s voter rolls,” a statement from the Governor’s office explained.

“County election offices are often inundated with voter registrations and status updates during presidential and midterm election years and receive very few changes during municipal election years. With this new automated process, election officials’ important work maintaining our voter rolls should be greatly streamlined and improved over the four-year election cycle.”

Shapiro’s office says that the change has been shown to also benefit military families, who tend to more often, and also reduces paper application processing that falls to county elections officials.

“Electronic registrations recorded during driver’s license center interactions are more secure and take a fraction of the time to process,” according to the Governor’s office.

They cite multiple studies that show that automatic registration has “produced marked increases in the number of eligible voters added to the voter rolls and has produced appreciable increases in voter turnout” in other states.

Estimates show that 8.7 million people were registered to vote as of last December while 10.3 million are eligible.