Starting Wednesday, eligible voters in California—the nation’s largest state by population—can register to vote online.

Previously, Californians had to take a printed form, sign it, and mail it to an elections office before being counted as registered to vote. In July, Washington became the first state in the nation to allow residents to register to vote via a Facebook app. Around a dozen states, including Connecticut and Indiana, also allow online registration.

Under the new system, which saw 3,000 Californians use it in its first 12 hours of existence, an online system matches a state identity card or driver’s license with date of birth and the last four digits of a Social Security number. Once a voter’s identity has been confirmed, she or he can click a button to authorize the digital signature that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles already has.

The deadline for voter registration for the November 6, 2012 presidential election is October 22.

"Today, the Internet replaces the mailbox for thousands of Californians wishing to register to vote,'' California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement (PDF). "Today we are taking the next step in the never-ending evolution of democracy and reaching every Californian.''

According to the California Voter Foundation, more than 25 percent of the Golden State’s eligible voters are not registered.

"We have one of the lowest rates of registration in the country,’’ Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation told the Los Angeles Times. "We’re hoping that this new system will encourage more young people to get registered. This is going to make the process more accessible to more people.’’