Proclamation Declaring September 17th National Voter Registration Day 2024 WHEREAS, the right to vote is a pillar of our American democracy and essential for creating a more perfect union, and registering to vote is step one; and
WHEREAS, the movement to expand the franchise came through great sacrifice and courage of generations of civil rights leaders and activists, and have made strides to ensure that more Americans are able to take part in the democratic process; repeatedly amending the Constitution to expand voting access across our history; and landmark legislation including the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that have helped to make those constitutional promises real and meaningful for more and more of our people; and
WHEREAS, this work remains unfinished and today, the right to vote is being suppressed and subverted in many parts of the country by shameful attempts to restrict Americans’ access to the ballot and the rolling back of decades of voting rights progress. This assault, largely targeting Americans of color, college-age and newer voters, is an attack on our democracy, on our liberty, and on who we are as Americans; and, in the words of the late Congressman John Lewis, “Democracy is not a state; it is an act.” It is our shared responsibility to act to secure the basic promise of American democracy; and
WHEREAS, each year in the United States, millions of eligible voters find themselves unable to vote because of politically motivated suppression and subversion and inadvertent issues such as missing a registration deadline, forgetting to update their registration after a name change or moving, or simply because they aren’t sure how to register; and
WHEREAS, National Voter Registration Day was created in 2012 to help address such issues by serving as a nationwide nonpartisan rallying point to promote voter registration and help eligible voters across the country get #VoteReady to participate in our shared democracy. Since 2012, more than 5 million citizens have registered to vote on National Voter Registration Day, including a record-breaking 1.5 million in 2020 alone.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County proclaims September 17, 2024, as National Voter Registration Day and calls upon all eligible Americans to observe this day by reaffirming our commitment to our hard fought voting rights by checking our voter registration status, – ensuring our registration is accurate and up-to-date by visiting Vote.gov or local elections office – and to help your neighbors, family, and friends to do the same; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that when We, the People, show up and vote, democracy wins! Submitted by Renee Zeimer, District 2 Elected Member, Joy Pinsky, District 4 Assoc. Member Approved by the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, August 29, 2004