Which statement about voter registration is true?

• A. A system that automatically registers eligible individuals when they interact with government agencies, subject to opt-out.
• B. The process by which individuals sign up to be eligible to vote; often includes requirements and deadlines.
• C. A procedure to challenge votes after election.
• D. A process that allows only citizens living abroad to vote.

Answer: (B)

Voter registration is the process by which individuals sign up to be eligible to vote, often including requirements such as citizenship, age, residency, and deadlines. This is the essential idea because being registered is what makes a person eligible to vote in a given election; the registration rules set who can vote and by when they must be on the rolls.

The option describing automatic registration with opt-out describes a specific system some places use, but it isn’t the universal definition of registration itself. The option about challenging votes after election refers to post-election procedures like recounts or disputes, not how people get on the voter rolls. The option that only citizens living abroad can vote is false in most jurisdictions, where many domestic residents also vote and abroad voting is just one of several voting pathways.

So, the broad, accurate definition is that registration is the process people undertake to sign up and prove they’re eligible to vote, with the applicable requirements and deadlines.