National Voter Registration Day
On September 17, 2024, Habitat for Humanity Capital District joins a coalition of thousands of Partners across the country that will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a coordinated democracy blitz aimed at getting every eligible American registered to vote in advance of election 2024!
No matter our background or political beliefs, we know that for democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us.
Every year, millions of eligible voters are unable to cast a ballot because of frustrating stumbling blocks like missed deadlines, outdated information, or other easily fixable paperwork problems.
Potential voters are caught in a vicious cycle that sees unregistered citizens become non-voters who are then ignored by political campaigns, which, in turn, leaves these citizens disenchanted by the electoral process.
The challenges
Underrepresentation: According to 2020 post-election U.S. Census data, as many as one in four eligible voters were either not registered to vote or didn’t know whether they were registered. For communities of color, young adults, and other already underrepresented parts of the electorate, the numbers were even more stark. Less than 60 percent of potential voters aged 18–24 reported being registered to vote, and registration rates in communities of color significantly lagged.
New Voting Laws: In 2024, millions of Americans will face a new landscape of voting laws passed by their states in the wake of the 2020 election. While these changes vary from state to state, ensuring you’re #VoteReady to hit the polls begins and ends with registering to vote OR updating your voter registration with any new information.
Life Changes: Because many people only vote during presidential elections, 2024 will be the first time millions of Americans plan to vote in four years. A lot can happen in four years that may require an updated voter registration—a move across town or state lines, marriage or separation, a name change, naturalization, or just turning 18—and National Voter Registration Day is the perfect day to do it.
Register to vote!
Led by a diverse bench of partners joining forces for a coast-to-coast celebration of democracy, we aim to narrow these voter registration and engagement gaps that keep our country from reaching its true democratic potential.
Registering to vote in 2024 is about more than just the presidential election.
This year, we will see elections for 34 US Senate seats, 435 House of Representatives seats, state legislative races across 44 states, and 11 governors races, alongside scores of municipal races and ballot initiatives.
Every eligible citizen should have the option to exercise their right to be heard at the ballot box. With this year’s National Voter Registration Day being the last big opportunity to get millions of Americans registered to vote in advance of the hotly contested presidential election, there’s no time like today to ensure every eligible American is ready to participate in our shared democracy this November 5.
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National Voter Registration Day is an annual nonpartisan event held each September. It is composed of coordinated efforts by over 4,000 national and Community Partners from all across the country working to raise awareness of voter registration resources and opportunities. As the nation’s largest nonpartisan civic holiday, it has facilitated over 5 million voter registrations since 2012. National Voter Registration Day is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State, the National Association of State Election Directors, the US Election Assistance Commission, and the National Association of Election Officials. Visit NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org for a listing of events across the country and comprehensive resources on voter registration and voting more generally.