One more excuse for poor voter turnout in this area - and across the nation - will be exorcised if a move to institute same-day registration is adopted in Massachusetts.

The state is considering legislation that would place it within the ranks of eight others already allowing prospective voters to show identification on the day of the vote, sign up, then grab a ballot.

Now, registration to vote must take place 20 days before primary and general elections.

We like this idea - especially with statistics showing far more ballots cast than before in those states that have adopted the practice.

Turnout for local elections in the greater Attleboro area is abysmally low these days, with a host of excuses provided, from inclement weather to long work days to the lack of a babysitter to the sense that a single vote won't matter anyway. In 2000, the Massachusetts League of Women Voters reports, more than 15,000 voters failed to cast ballots, citing long lines or inconvenient hours as factors.

Same-day registration won't cure the malaise of those who have simply lost regard for the Democratic process. It would, however, lure newcomers who had forgotten during relocation to register.

Associated Press reports that the bill's authors would include protection against abuse or fraud. Voters who aren't on the rolls would have to show identification and sign an affidavit attesting to their residence and the fact that they are citizens. There would be large fines for malfeasance.

This is about as fraud-free as a registration can be within a system that is widely recognized as imperfect.

The most critical issue beyond insuring against voter fraud is guaranteeing that polls have sufficient workers to handle the extra work so people waiting in line do not become disgusted and leave. There should be separate tables with poll workers from both parties to handle on-the-spot registrations.

In Massachusetts, with more than 2,000 precincts, more than 12,000 workers need to be recruited for each statewide election, according to the League of Women Voters. Recruiting enough poll workers is a continuing issue in election administration, especially in urban areas.

The crunch on poll workers should be eased by last year's approval of a law increasing the pool by allowing municipalities that have difficulty finding enough workers to hire from outside their city or town and by allowing 16 and 17 year olds, who meet certain qualifications, to serve as poll workers.

Same-day voter registration would benefit the commonwealth if fraud-proof steps are in place and municipalities can coax enough people to work the long days.