September 20 is National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy.
This holiday creates an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on voter registration to ensure that all eligible U.S. citizens are ready to exercise their most basic right, the right to vote. Registering to vote is the all-important first step and becoming a participant in our democracy. Yet according to the 2020 Census, one in four eligible citizens is not registered. And every year millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they don't update their registration status.
Any U.S. citizen who will be 18 on or before November 8, 2022 can register. This includes any naturalized citizen and any person who has been released from jail after having served their time. You can register in person at your local election authority, or at a registration event being held in your area. Find a local event atGoVote815.org. To register in person, you need two forms of ID: Both must show your current name and one must show your current address. If you have a current Illinois driver's license or state ID you can register online at Illinoisvoterguide.org. You will also need the last four digits of your social security number and your birthday.
This year, communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are using this day to get voters registered and vote ready. Join the movement. Celebrate National Voter Registration Day by checking your registration status at https://illinoisvoterguide.org/
Not registered? Get registered! Our democracy works best when more of us participate. Your vote, your voice, your future.
This is Carol Davies, co-chair of the Voter Service Committee of the League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford, and this is my perspective.
