Tuesday marks National Voter Registration Day, an annual nonpartisan civic holiday intended to promote awareness about how U.S. citizens can register to vote and, more broadly, promote democracy.
The civic holiday, celebrated every September, was first observed in 2012 by nearly 2,000 organizations. Volunteers hit the streets nationwide to educate Americans about the importance of exercising their civic rights and registering new voters.
More than a decade later, National Voter Registration Day has been endorsed by national associations and the federal government. According to National Voter Registration Day’s official website, more than 5 million voters have been registered to vote on the holiday since 2012.
Expanding the number of registered voters and encouraging them to participate in elections is at the core of the civic holiday. Though voting soared in the 2020 presidential election, U.S. Census data shows that about one in four eligible Americans are not registered to vote.
Black Americans exhibit higher turnout rates than Latino and Asian voters and were projected to reach nearly 33 million registered voters ahead of last year’s midterm elections.
Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama kicked off National Voter Registration Day with a video message from her nonprofit When We All Vote.
Joined by NBA player Chris Paul and other celebrities, Obama urged Americans to check their voter registration status, text three friends or family members and ask them to check their registration status, and get involved and volunteer with When We All Vote to help get your community registered and ready to vote.
In his presidential proclamation observing National Voter Registration Day, President Joe Biden acknowledged the history of voting for Black Americans, who were “denied full citizenship and voting rights up until 1965.”
“Time and again, Americans have fought against…
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