National Voter Registration Day, 2024

Proclamation 10813 of September 16, 2024

National Voter Registration Day, 2024

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

American democracy begins and ends with the ballot
box--putting the right to vote and the right to decide
our Nation's future in the hands of ``We the People.''
Voting defines our threshold of liberty and makes
everything possible. On National Voter Registration
Day, we recommit to protecting the sacred right to
vote, and we encourage every eligible American to
register to vote.

Today, there are forces trying to take us back in time.
They are trying to suppress voters and subvert
elections. They are supporting unlimited dark money and
extreme gerrymandering to try to influence the election
system in their favor. We saw it on January 6, 2021,
when a violent mob of insurrectionists and election
deniers breached the Capitol. It is a solemn reminder
that the work to secure our democracy and protect our
fundamental rights and freedoms is not over in this
country. Each generation must join the work to preserve
our democratic values and norms.

That is why, when I came into office, I was determined
to secure the right to vote and the right to have every
vote counted. I signed an Executive Order that directed
the entire Federal Government to work on promoting non-
partisan access to voter registration and election
information. So far, Federal agencies have worked to
make voter registration more accessible for veterans
and college students. The Department of Justice has
doubled its voting rights enforcement staff. United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services has worked
to ensure that all newly naturalized citizens
understand the privilege of voting and have the
opportunity to register. And the Department of the
Interior is working to increase Indigenous peoples'
access to voter registration. Furthermore, Vice
President Kamala Harris declared National Voter
Registration Day to be one of three National Days of
Action on Voting Rights, calling on all Americans,
regardless of political affiliation, to come together
to encourage voter registration. This year, one of my
guests at the State of the Union was one of the brave
Americans who marched in Selma, Alabama, nearly 60
years ago on ``Bloody Sunday.'' Thanks to these
activists who fought tirelessly for the right to vote--
from Seneca Falls, New York, to Selma, Alabama--the
19th Amendment was ratified and the Voting Rights Act
was signed into law. But to fully secure the right to
vote in every State, the Congress must take action and
pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting
Rights Advancement Act.

Today, I am thinking of a quote from Benjamin Franklin.
When he was asked if the Founding Fathers had given
America a monarchy or a republic, he responded, ``A
republic, if you can keep it.'' On National Voter
Registration Day, we are reminded that our republic is
in our hands and it is incumbent upon us to maintain
it. It is in that spirit that we encourage every
eligible American to ensure they are registered to
vote. You can verify that your registration is accurate
and up to date and offer to help your neighbors do the
same. For more information, visit Vote.gov.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of
the United States, do hereby proclaim September 17,
2024,

as National Voter Registration Day. I call on all
eligible Americans to observe this day by ensuring that
they are accurately registered and by committing to
cast a ballot in upcoming elections.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.