Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Vote 2024. Tuesday, September 17, 2024, will be recognized in the United States as National Voter Registration Day.
On Monday, the White House issued a presidential proclamation recognizing National Voter Registration Day 2024. In his proclamation, President Biden wrote, “The Department of the Interior is working to expand Indigenous Peoples’ access to voter registration.”
If you are not yet registered to vote, please do so today.
Read the full presidential proclamation below.
NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A proclamation
American democracy begins and ends at the ballot box, placing the right to vote and the right to determine our nation’s future in the hands of “We the People.” Voting defines our threshold of freedom and makes all things possible. On National Voter Registration Day, we reaffirm the protection of the sacred right to vote, and we encourage every eligible American to register to vote.
Today, there are forces that are trying to take us back in time. They are trying to suppress voters and undermine elections. They are supporting unlimited dark money and extreme gerrymandering to influence the electoral system in their favor. We saw it on January 6, 2021, when a violent mob of insurrectionists and election deniers stormed the Capitol. It is a solemn reminder that the work to secure our democracy and protect our fundamental rights and freedoms in this country is not over. Every generation must join in the work to preserve our democratic values and standards.
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That’s why, when I took office, I was determined to protect the right to vote and the right to have every vote count. I signed an executive order directing the entire federal government to work to promote nonpartisan access to voter registration and election information. To date, federal agencies have worked to make voter registration more accessible to veterans and 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 expand Indigenous peoples’ access to voter registration. Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris declared National Voter Registration Day as one of three National Days of Action on Voting Rights, calling on all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, to come together to promote 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, on “Bloody Sunday” almost 60 years ago. 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, Congress must take action and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Today I think of a quote from Benjamin Franklin. When asked if the Founding Fathers had endowed America with a monarchy or a republic, he replied, “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 our duty to preserve it. In that spirit, we encourage every eligible American to make sure they register 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.
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 the laws of the United States, hereby declare September 17, 2024, to be National Voter Registration Day. I urge all eligible Americans to observe this day by ensuring they are properly registered and by committing to casting a ballot in the upcoming election.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the year two hundred and forty-nine.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
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