[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 76711-76712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21566]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 76711]]


                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,

[[Page 76712]]

                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.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-21566
Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P