Years ago, when first registering to vote, I had to go in person,?
A high school diploma has never been required to register to vote in the US, or to vote. What changed is technology and the resulting streamlining of the process to make it easier to register and vote and save time, paper and other resources. You have to go in person with your birth certificate to get your drivers license in the first place. Your drivers license in most states is the official state ID and the drivers license office has all the information about you thats needed to register to vote: birthdate, address, social security number and a drivers license number that distinguishes you from everyone else in the state, plus a description of what you look like and your picture. Now that everythings computerized all government agencies have all your information at their fingertips. They know all about you. So you dont have to spend so much time going to multiple offices and filling out papers.