Sen. Scott Hutchinson says there’s “no necessary reason” for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s move to implement automatic voter registration.

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 from the governor’s office, as a result of the change announced last week.

“The truth is there is no necessary reason to make this abrupt change in our voting process,” Hutchinson said in his weekly update.

Since 1993, federal law has been in place and already required state departments of transportation to provide the opportunity for simultaneous voter registration for federal elections when applying for or renewing a driver’s license and a photo ID.”

Hutchinson pivoted to highlighting the steps that have been taken to strengthen “election integrity and access.”

“Over the last few years, we have been actively working to address election concerns raised by Pennsylvanians from across the political spectrum, by increasing transparency, implementing a ‘Zuckerbucks’ ban, mandating continuous counting of ballots on election nights, and passing legislation which would implement Voter ID,” he said. “Senate Republicans are committed to continuing to look out for the millions of Pennsylvania voters who are lawfully eligible to vote, and reviewing the changes to determine the best next steps for Pennsylvanians.”