National Voter Registration Day

It's About Celebrating Democracy In America!

Register in September, make it count in November!

Every year, millions of Americans don’t vote because they’ve missed a registration deadline or don’t know how to register in the first place. National Voter Registration Day was established to raise public awareness and increase participation with the help of volunteers and organizations nationwide.

Voter Resources:

• Get to the Polls
• Vote Smart
• Moyers & Company: “The Fight — and the Right — to Vote”

Last month, Carnegie Corporation of New York helped spread the word through a series of radio interviews with partner organizations on SiriusXM’s POTUS politics channel.  

The Latino Vote
Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO, Voto Latino

The Youth Vote
Ashley Spillane, President, Rock the Vote

Technology and Voting
David Becker, Director of Election Initiatives, The Pew Charitable Trusts

National Voter Registration Day
Secretary Kate Brown, National Association of Secretaries of State

The Big Picture
Elizabeth MacNamara, President, League of Women Voters

In the days leading up to National Voter Registration Day, the Twitter hashtag #r2v14 generated more than 2,500 tweets, which reached millions of Twitter streams. Here is an example from Tim Farley, host of Morning Briefing on POTUS. 

VIRGINIA ORGANIZING

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives. Virginia Organizing especially encourages the participation of those who have traditionally had little or no voice in our society. By building relationships with individuals and groups throughout the state, Virginia Organizing strives to get them to work together, democratically and non-violently, for change.

21 PROGRESS

Building a 21st Century Movement for Equity & Justice. 21 PROGRESS provides programs that enhance leadership development among the hard working people of Washington, their families, and communities. Through popular education, civic engagement and arts & culture, 21 PROGRESS assists emerging leaders – especially young adults and immigrants – to claim their place in building a more just society and reaching their American Dream.

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WASHINGTON

Empowering all Washingtonians to engage in a more responsible & responsive democracy

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE TREASURE COAST

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast, Inc. was founded in 1971. Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast believes that reproductive self-determination and the right to privacy are core human freedoms. Our mission is to provide comprehensive sexual health care through the provision of clinical services, education and advocacy. Our nine health centers in South Florida are dedicated to providing services that are affordable, accessible and available to all women, men and youth in the community, regardless of the individual's income, race, marital status, religion, sexual orientation or residence. Our goal is to create the healthiest generation ever. In 2013, we served 25,000 patients in our health centers and 25,000 teens and adults through our education programs.

PROJECT VOTE

Project Vote’s mission is to build an electorate that accurately represents the diversity of America’s citizenry, and to ensure that every eligible citizen can register, vote, and cast a ballot that counts.

FIRELIGHT MEDIA

Firelight Media is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing talented documentary filmmakers who tell stories about people, places, cultures and issues that are underrepresented in the mainstream media. Firelight Media’s Community Engagement Division meets the needs of producers, organizers, audiences and philanthropists by connecting high-quality films with concrete and innovative ways for audiences to become inspired, educated, and mobilized into action.

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF REFORM AND EMPOWERMENT (FIRE)

FIRE is a non-profit organization in Florida,  dedicated to empowering people to be leaders in their communities through civic engagement.

OHIO VOTER RIGHTS COALITION

The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition is a coalition of nonprofit voting advocate organizations in Ohio. We are dedicated to ensuring that all eligible Ohio citizens maintain the right to vote in every election.

SEIU FLORIDA

SEIU Florida represents over 55,000 active and retired healthcare professionals, public employees, and property service workers in the state of Florida. SEIU members provide vital public services in Florida’s hospitals, nursing homes, public schools, community colleges, municipal and county governments, malls, and universities. With over 2.1 million members, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. Our goal is to unite the voices of working people and families to expand healthcare, raise the minimum wage, and fight for immigration reform in Florida.

KALAMAZOO GAY LESBIAN RESOURCE CENTER (KGLRC)

The Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center seeks to create a community that celebrates the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity. We provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities and their allies through programming, advocacy, and support services, while striving to create a bridge of understanding among all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

ENGAGE MICHIGAN

Engage Michigan is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes solutions for Michigan through independent research, public education and the use of new media and internet outreach campaigns. Engage Michigan’s primary issues of concern include economic fairness, social justice, health care reform, environmental protection, ensuring great public schools and more.

LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC)

The Mission of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States.

THE LEAGUE OF YOUNG VOTERS EDUCATION FUND

The League empowers young people nationwide to participate in the democratic process and create progressive political change on the local, state and national level – with a focus on non-college youth and youth from low-income communities and communities of color. The League meets young people where they are, works on issues that affect their lives, and provides them with tools, training, and support to become serious catalysts for change. Visit us @YoungVoter.org.

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan citizens’ organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Founded in 1920 during the fight that secured the right to vote for women, the centerpiece of the League’s efforts remain to expand participation and give a voice to all Americans. We do this at all three levels of government, engaging in both broad educational efforts, as well as advocacy. Our issues are grounded in our respected history of Making Democracy Work® for all citizens.

VOTE411

Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) prior to the 2006 elections, VOTE411.org is a "one-stop-shop" for election related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the various aspects of the election process, including how to register to vote, voter registration deadlines, information on early and absentee voting, voting hours, what type of identification, if any, voters may need to bring to the polls, and much more.  

PROGRESSVA

ProgressVA is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization that combines cutting edge online organizing and communications with rapid and hard-hitting earned media strategies. Year round, ProgressVA works to engage citizens from across the state around issues of immediate state or local concern. Our mission is to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems. But we don't do that on our own - we work as a communications team for the entire progressive community. We're a marketing department for progressive ideas - a campaign that never stops. We work year-round to challenge conservative propaganda in the media and make sure that progressive perspectives are heard.

NONPROFIT VOTE

Nonprofit VOTE partners with America’s nonprofits to help the people they serve participate and vote. Nonprofits reach and serve many potential voters overlooked by campaigns and are effective at increasing voter participation among populations that are the least likely to vote. Nonprofit VOTE is the largest source of nonpartisan resources to help nonprofits integrate voter engagement into their ongoing activities and services. 

THE BALLOT INITIATIVE STRATEGY CENTER (BISC) FOUNDATION

The BISC Foundation strengthens democracy by building a national strategy for ballot measures.

Ballot measures affect everything progressives fight for – but for years, regressive and corporate forces have dominated the ballot-measure process, harming communities and forcing social change advocates to fight costly defensive campaigns. The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation (BISC Foundation), a 501(c)(3) organization, is changing this dynamic. We envision a future in which ballot measures are used as proactive tools for change – to enact good policies, increase civic engagement in underrepresented communities, and build a stronger infrastructure for the social change movement. 

We do this by serving as a trusted source of ballot-measure information, advice, and expertise, and as a critical link between the diverse groups and issues affected by ballot measures. As a neutral third party with strong relationships in the ballot-measure states, the BISC Foundation reaches across state lines and issue silos to identify best practices, facilitate collaboration, and promote strategic investment – for the shared benefit of the broader social change movement.

THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

The Center for Community Change builds the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change their communities and public policies for the better. The Center empowers the people most affected by injustice to lead movements to improve policies that affect their lives. 

ADVANCEMENT PROJECT

Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.

18 MILLION RISING

18MR.org launched in September 2012 and, in less than two years, has become the premier hub for Asian American–Pacific Islander (AAPI) civic engagement and community expression online. America's first national organization to serve AAPI communities, we create digital vehicles for civic engagement, pioneer ways to leverage technology and social media as a platforms for social change, and amplify the voices of the country’s fastest growing demographic. Our culturally-savvy campaigns, aptitude for building and implementing technology, combined with a network of social media influencers, artists, and established AAPI organizations keep us well-poised to ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are an active part of the civic fabric of the United States. We are reaching, engaging, and earning the trust of a group that no one has been speaking to; a group that is also a major part of the demographic shifts happening in this country — young, tech savvy, AAPIs.

APIAVOTE

APIAVote is a national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in electoral and civic participation.

ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE

Founded in 1991, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC works to advance the human and civil rights of Asian Americans, and build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.

VOTO LATINO

Voto Latino is a nonpartisan organization that empowers Latino Millennials to claim a better future for themselves and their community. United by the belief that Latino issues are American issues and American issues are Latino issues, Voto Latino is dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices to develop leaders by engaging youth, media, technology, and celebrities to promote positive change.

CAMPUS VOTE PROJECT

The Campus Vote Project, launched in 2012, is a campaign to help college students work with administrators and local election officials to make the process of voting easier and overcome barriers students often face to voting that students often mention such as residency laws, registration deadlines, and strict voter ID requirements.

NALEO EDUCATIONAL FUND

The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading nonprofit organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.

THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

The Center for Community Change builds the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change their communities and public policies for the better. The Center empowers the people most affected by injustice to lead movements to improve policies that affect their lives. 

NAACP NATIONAL VOTER FUND

The mission of the NAACP National Voter Fund (NVF) is to increase voter turnout in African American communities, engage in issue advocacy and educate voters on candidates' positions on civil rights. We do this through voter education, non-partisan registration, and get-out-the-vote efforts.

THE VOTER PARTICIPATION CENTER

The Voter Participation Center (VPC) is a research-driven, results-oriented nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the participation and amplifying the voices of unmarried women (women who are single, widowed, divorced or separated) and other historically underrepresented groups in our democracy. The mission of the VPC is to boost the civic engagement of unmarried women, people of color and 18-29 year olds—the three demographic groups who comprise the Rising American Electorate (RAE). 

ACLU OF OREGON

The ACLU of Oregon is an advocacy organization dedicated to preserving and advancing civil liberties and civil rights. We are organized as a private, non-profit, membership organization with more than 10,000 members and a staff of nine. We have an office in Portland and a chapter in Lane County.

See what Carnegie Corporation’s grantees are doing to recognize National Voter Registration Day by following their social media feeds below.