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Voter registration in the United States is primarily designed to maintain the two-party system. The only thing the Democrats and Republicans really have in common is the desire to limit any other party from gaining significant power (there has to be a minimum of two parties in any democratic system). Because Dems and Republicans control the legislatures and governorships in every state, they have set the rules for registering so that you have to do so in advance. This severely harms third parties, as most people if forced to register in advance will have to decide early whether to vote for the main party candidates with the most name recognition and the best ability to get out their message.
Third parties have taken hold in the state where same-day registration is law, Minnesota, largely because undecideds can make up their mind at the very last minute and choose to vote for someone other than a major party candidate. This explains Jesse Ventura's success, for example.
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