National Voter Registration Day is celebrated annually on every fourth Tuesday of September in the United States, this year it falls on 20th September and it is celebrated with an aim to increase awareness regarding the importance of vote to the civilians.
We all must feel grateful that we live in a democracy and we have the right to vote to elect or vote out anyone we dislikes and this thing should not be taken for granted as still there are many countries around where people doesn't have any right to vote.
So you are given the right to vote but still if you don't exercise your right to vote then you don't have any right to criticize any government or leader as you yourself didn't care at first. So voting is very important and as a responsible citizen all must do it.
| Event | National Voter Registration Day |
|---|---|
| Date | September 20, 2022 |
| Day | Tuesday |
| Significance | It is observed with the intention of raising public awareness of the value of voting |
| Observed by | United States |
National Voter Registration Day History:
In 1965, Voting Rights Act became law when President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law allowing people of color to vote without barriers to political involvement. And thus everyone in the US as an American citizen got their rights to vote equally as the white population.
This act was passed during the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. And because of this in 1972, Barbara Jordan and Andrew Young entered Congress as the first African-Americans elected since Reconstruction.
And since then the voting rights act is continuing. In 2006, US Congress extended Section 5, a key part of the Voting Rights Act, for 25 more years. So it means the same voting rights act will be followed till 2031 atleast. However there is a large chance that it will be extended even further without any change.
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) established the first National Voter Registration Day on September 25, 2012. In 2014, the NASS established the Fourth Tuesday of September as the official day for National Voter Registration Day.
National Voter Registration Day Significance:
More than 300,000 Americans registered to vote on the inaugural day of the observance in 2012. That number jumped to 1.5 by 2020. And till now about 4.7 million people have been registered. The day helps to ensure eligible voters register in their districts each year.
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to vote.
National Voter Registration Day involves volunteers and organizations from all over the country hitting the streets in a single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts. National Voter Registration Day seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.
And this is very important for the nation as well as through voting only the citizens of the country remains politically aware and negligence in voting and choosing leaders of the country can cause a serious damage to the US democracy which can result in unseen control which can lead to devastating impacts to country's economy and other major decisions. Hence it is very important for a healthy democracy that people votes during the election as in many authoritarian regimes all over the world the citizens doesn't get a chance to elect their leaders but when we have it we don't value it which spreads wrong ideas across the world.
National Voter Registration Day Facts:
Now let's learn about some very interesting facts about US voting system:
- In 2020 US presidential election the voting turnout was 66.8% which was much better than many recent elections.
- Poll taxes, started in the 1890s, legally kept southern African-Americans from voting by making them pay for the right.
- As part of the Texas voter ID process, you can't vote with a student ID but if you have a gun license then you are eligible. Truly Texas-style!
- Ohio's constitution bans "idiots" from voting according to Article V, Section 6 of the state constitution. But this will make whole Ohio ineligible, Oops! Sorry, Ohio!
- During his first legislative run, George Washington spent his campaign budget of 50 pounds on a round of election day drinks for his constituents.
Most Searched FAQs on National Voter Registration Day:
1. When is National Voter Registration Day is observed?
National Voter Registration Day is observed annually on forth Tuesday of September in US.
2. What is a get out the vote campaign?
"Get out the vote" or "getting out the vote" (GOTV) describes efforts aimed at increasing the voter turnout in elections.
3. What is more than a vote?
More than a Vote is a nonprofit organization fighting for African-Americans's voting rights, as well as advocating criminal justice reform in the United States.