articipation, but increased registration does not necessarily mean increased voting, as the case of the 1992 Motor Voter laws show.
A federal bill originated in the Senate (S 250) was dubbed the "motor voter" bill. It was passed by both houses of Congress, but it was vetoed by President Bush, his 28th veto. The vote in both houses was short of what would be required for a veto override. The purpose of this legislation was to help citizens register to vote by permitting those eligible to register at the same time they apply for a driver's license or other types of permits, such as a hunting or marriage license. The bill would also have allowed registration through the mail. States would have been required to have registration forms available at a variety of locales, including welfare offices. Supporters promoted the bill because of concerns about steadily declining voter turnouts in both presidential and Congressional elections. In the 1988 presidential election, only 57 percent of eligible voters went to the pol
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