Motor-Voter Bill: Making Voting Easy

The Opinion page article "Renew a License and Register to Vote?," March 30, goes too far toward making voting easy or perhaps irresponsible. Is going to the public library or the county seat really too burdensome? Or are we desperately trying to develop casual voters?

The new provision against fraud is a farce. How would it be any more effective than laws that prohibit lying on applications for driver's licenses, unemployment or welfare benefits, or work permits? The Senate's "enhancements," allowing for the use of street corners, vacant lots, and other people's addresses as the address of record for voter registration, combined with the prior elimination of residency requirements, will invite politicians to orchestrate mass registration of "new" residents before elec tions. That could mean 1,000 new voters registering just before an election who will be eligible to vote on local property taxes, abortion, or other issues.

The author proposes that the postal service subsidize the mailing of voter-registration materials. If this happens, other postal rates will have to increase to cover the subsidy and taxes will also increase to pay for the additional registration locations. Federal meddling in state voter registration procedure is unnecessary. Richard T. Wojciechowski, Springfield, Va.

Letters are welcome. Only a selection can be published, subject to condensation, and none acknowledged. Please fax letters to (617) 450-2317 or address them to "Readers Write," One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.