Beginning this week, eligible voters in California can register to vote online.
The new online registration system was the result of a bill passed by the state legislature last year, with the hope reaching some of the six million Californians eligible but not registered to vote.
It was opposed by Republicans, who said it could lead to voter fraud. But State Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco, who introduced the bill, said allowing voters to register online would set California apart from states where legislators have been accused of suppressing voter participation by passing voter ID laws.
Those laws are thought to make it harder for poor and minority citizens to vote because they may lack required documents.
With its new online system, California joins several other states that already allow online voter registration, including Arizona, Colorado, New York and Louisiana.
Online registration is available at the California Secretary of State's website. The deadline to register in California for this November's election is Oct. 22.
