Did you know that 60% of eligible Americans are never asked to register to vote?
For ten years, National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) has been working to change this, and on Tuesday, September 20, organizations across the country celebrate the tenth anniversary of the national nonpartisan holiday.
With states redrawing every congressional district ahead of the 2022 Midterm elections, NVRD is more important than ever. Voting rights organizers are encouraging everyone to use September 20 not only as an opportunity to register to vote, but a reminder to check and confirm your registration.
NVRD turns ten this year, marking a decade of efforts by thousands of volunteers who have registered nearly 4.7 million voters since the start. In 2022, partners across the country are hoping to register at least 800,000 voters, bringing the historic total to over 5 million registrations.
According to 2020 U.S. Census Data, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote, so volunteers and organizers hope that NVRD creates a culture of “sharing in and celebrating our democracy”, making the act of voter registration one that is accessible, memorable, and fun for all involved.
How you can join
Interested in doing something to celebrate NVRD in a meaningful way? Check out Progressive Turnout Project’s #TeamTurnout program, a toolkit of voting resources and reminders to share with your friends and followers. We’ve created images you can easily share reminding folks to register or update their registration — just save the image to your device and share.
Want to do something more? Take a look at PTP’s Mobilize feed, filled with upcoming events and trainings from our endorsed candidates and grantees. You can find a variety of in-person events or virtual opportunities here.
Continue reading to learn about the NVRD plans from some of our Turnout Grantees, spotlighting their important work with voting communities across the country.
18by Vote
For the week leading up to National Voter Registration Day, 18by Vote is hosting #GenZtothePolls, a week-long campaign combining virtual and in-person events targeted at increasing respectful, intergenerational conversations around elections and voting, and ultimately garnering attention around the elections with the intention of increasing youth voter turnout. Learn more and register to attend here.
Georgia Shift
As part of the HBCU campus programs, Georgia Shift will be celebrating NVRD on Paine College’s campus in August, GA. Collaborating with student leaders, they are planning a large voter registration rally and party featuring a silent disco with local artists and activists. Learn how you can get involved here.
Focus Action Network & Unity in the Community
In South Philadelphia, Unity in the Community will be hosting DJ parties at key locations for NVRD. They will have music, voter registration assistants, and other information at senior centers, schools, train stops, and more. Join the celebration and verify your voter registration. Learn more about Unity in the Community’s work here.
Focus Action Network will be celebrating NVRD by leading poll worker registration and recruitment across Philadelphia, uplifting another way you can get involved with our democracy! Sign up to volunteer with Focus Action Network here.
Navajo County Democrats and Northeast Arizona Native Democrats
Navajo County Dems will be out with their field team on September 20, hosting a variety of NVRD activities all over the region! Click here to check out their upcoming events.
PLAN Action
Collaborating with PLAN, their 501c3 arm, PLAN Action will be hosting a variety of NVRD activities. Check out their Mobilize feed for more details.
Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance
APIPA is hosting a Midterm Election Canvas Day and CADBI Rally on September 20th. Click here to register to knock doors with them and learn more about the rally here.
