Registering and voting is especially important in local elections where your voice matters most.
Here are Five Things You Need To About Voter Registration:
1. On National Voter Registration Day, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law-led Election Protection hotline will be taking calls LIVE to answer questions about voter registration, voter ID laws, language assistance, and other issues. Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866–687–8683) with any voting-related questions.
2. There are at least 51 million Americans who are not registered to vote. That is roughly one quarter of the people who are eligible to vote in United States. Think about the power we would have to make the changes we need in our communities if everyone was registered to vote!
3. States are modernizing and making voter registration more secure. And more are moving in the direction of automatic voter registration with tremendous success. In just two years, 10 states have adopted a system in which eligible voters are automatically registered when they encounter state services including the Department of Motor Vehicles, Secretary of State’s office, and other state agencies. The new law in the Land of Lincoln could add one million more voters to the rolls, and with it, an increased participation in elections. Additionally, 38 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted online voter registration — a 20-state increase since 2014.
4. Registration deadlines matter. In Georgia, just last year, nearly 8,000 more residents registered to vote after the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law successfully litigated to enforce federal registration laws in order to ensure more voters could participate in the 6th Congressional District special election.
5. Updating and verifying your registration is key. Transient populations, including young people, and antiquated processes like the use of paper forms continues to serve as barriers to register. If you have not voted in a while or just want to make sure you are registered, use this opportunity to check your registration so that you can participate in the next election in your city or state.
