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Al Schmidt: “Voters still have the opportunity to opt out [of automatic…”

Featuring: Al Schmidt, Republican | Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead

Published July 31, 2026 | Video Starts at 24:38

I'm happy with the second number and I wish it were 100%. But the whole idea is you're registering everyone whether they have any intention of voting or not. I mean, Voters still have the opportunity to opt out [of automatic voter registration] at PennDOT. right? We're not forcing anyone to register. They have the opportunity at PennDOT to decline to be registered if they choose for one reason or another. (24:38–24:46)

CLAIM

Asserts that voters can opt out of automatic voter registration at PennDOT.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Al Schmidt

“The percentage of registrations coming to the counties from PennDOT has increased by 125% since we implemented AVR in 2023.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 22:19-22:31
“The percentage of new vote applications for new voters has increased by 55% since we implemented voter registration.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 22:47-22:56
“I serve in the Shapiro administration as Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 04:33-04:38
“I worked at the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C. to make sure that public services were delivered efficiently…”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 05:10-05:22
“Our representative democracy depends on the citizenry being represented.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 09:17-09:25
“When the citizenry does not participate, they are not represented and less likely to receive services that only, only government can…”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 09:24-09:36
“It is important that government gets things done so that we can build and rebuild and strengthen confidence in our system of government.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 09:43-09:52
“It's really our job at the Pennsylvania Department of State to maximize access, to maximize opportunities for people to vote.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 20:40-20:49
“The ones with the lowest turnout are the ones that affect our everyday lives the most.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 20:56-21:01
“The Shapiro administration implemented automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania in 2023.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 21:53-22:04
“The number of people voting has continued to increase since AVR, even though the percentage actually went up in 2024.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 23:20-23:30
“Once they're [at PennDOT], they've shown all their identity, like there's no question about that or eligibility, age or all the rest to…”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 25:13-25:22
“I've testified in front of our House and our Senate in favor of having a much more accessible version of early voting in Pennsylvania.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 39:09-39:21
“Right now you can show up at your board of elections office, you can apply in person, they can approve it.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 39:21-39:29
“It's the most labor intensive, costly, clumsy, frustrating experience for voters when they hear Pennsylvania has early voting.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 39:33-39:46
“In other states that has been shown to improve turnout, especially among voters who are the least likely to vote.”
The Participation Gap Panel | The Promise of Democracy Summit: 250 Years and the Path Ahead | Uploaded July 31, 2026 | 39:55-40:03