[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9503 of September 26, 2016

National Voter Registration Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

One of the most fundamental and sacred rights of any democracy is the
right to vote; in order for our government to function effectively and
respond to the needs of our people, all citizens can and must play a
role in shaping it. Each year on National Voter Registration Day, we
reaffirm the strong sense of civic pride among our people and encourage
friends, family members, and neighbors to get involved in civic life by
registering to vote.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. If we are serious about improving
our country and ensuring our government reflects our values, we cannot
afford to sit out on Election Day. Unfortunately, among those who are
eligible to vote, too many choose not to--far too many people
disenfranchise themselves by not getting involved. When we do not take
full advantage of the right to vote, we not only give away our voice;
our power; our ability to shape the future of the country we love--we
also do a disservice to the generations of Americans before us who
risked everything, including their lives, to protect this fundamental
aspect of our Republic.
Our brand of democracy is hard, and it requires our citizens to be able
to fully participate in a smooth and effective way. Through a
bipartisan, independent commission dedicated to improving the voting
process, we are working to ensure our democracy and our elections
function the way they are supposed to. Whether through strengthening
mechanisms that allow more people to vote--such as online registration--
or going door-to-door to register voters in our communities, we must
make registering to vote easier. By protecting and expanding this right,
we can ensure this grand experiment in self-government works for more
Americans. For more information on how to register to vote, visit
www.VOTE.USA.gov.
It is easy to feel frustrated when the pace of change is slow--and to
lose hope in the political process as a result. But we cannot give in to
that cynicism. Heroic things happen when people get involved. Our
government is only as strong as what we put into it, and it is only re

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flective of the will of our citizenry when we exercise our right to
vote. Today, as we once again celebrate National Voter Registration Day,
let us carry forward the tradition of promoting voter registration and
civic engagement, recommit to exercising one of the most precious of our
democratic rights, and remember that the task of perfecting our Union
belongs to us all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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, do hereby proclaim September 27, 2016, as
National Voter Registration Day. I call upon all Americans to observe
this day by ensuring they are registered to vote.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA