Voter registration costs are difficult to determine due to variations in state laws and the manner in which election administration responsibilities are divided between state and local election officials. This case study, conducted by the Pew Center on the States with the assistance of Oregon state and local election officials, is the first publicly available, detailed compilation of state voter registration costs.

The study found that voter registration in Oregon cost more than $9.7 million during the 2008 election, a cost of $4.51 per active registered voter or $8.43 per voter registration transaction (adding new or updating existing voter records). Using this analysis as a model, other states will be able to better estimate their registration expenses and therefore identify opportunities for reform.