It’s National Voter Registration Day, Here’s What You Need to Know

Photo by: fstop123/Getty Images

It’s National Voter Registration Day, which means that you should start thinking about your voting strategy because the general election is only 49 days away!

The civic holiday known as National Voter Registration Day is nonpartisan and honors our democratic system.

And with The United States’ Election Day being Tuesday, November 8^th, everyone must know just how they can be prepared so you can effectively cast your vote!

According to the official website of National Voter Registration was first observed in 2012, and since then, it has grown rapidly. To date, around 4.7 million people have registered to vote on this holiday.

The purpose of National Voter Registration is to effectively and strategically uses the help of individual and group volunteers from across the nation to go door-to-door using coordinated field, technology, and media initiatives to help others to get registered to vote on a local, state, and national level.

To reach the tens of thousands of voters who might not otherwise register to vote, National Voter Registration Day aims to raise public awareness of voter registration options.

Up to one in four Americans who are eligible to vote are not registered, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

Every year, millions of Americans are unable to vote because they forget to register, fail to update their registration, or are unclear about how to do so.

By incorporating technology, such as social media to get people registered to vote, Americans are informed on how to register, sign up for election reminders, request mail-in ballots, learn about early voting choices, and more ways to get their ballots in properly.

There are just a few steps to get your voice and vote heard, register, choose a party, get your ballot, VOTE, and return your ballot.  That’s it.

Becoming a Registered Voter

In order to become a registered voter, there are requirements that you must meet. And each state has its own requirements that you must meet as well.

Some of the national requirements are that you must be a citizen of the United States.

You must be a resident of the state and the county, city, or village you are intending to register in for at least 30 days before the election. You also need to be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18). You cannot be in prison for a felony conviction. And you cannot claim the right to vote elsewhere.

To get your vote to count, you can register through your state’s official online voter registration. You can also register to vote by mail. By printing the form, filling it out, and mailing it to your neighborhood election office will allow you to register to vote by mail in your state. Lastly, if you’d prefer, you can also register to vote in person.

You can also become a registered voter through Vote.gov to begin the voter registration process. You can also visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles, Armed forces recruitment centers, and or your State and county public assistance offices, such as SNAP/food stamps and WIC.

Anytime you move, alter your name, or want to change your party affiliation, make sure to update your voter registration. Verify that your current address and mailing address are listed on your voter registration as soon as possible.

---

Getting Your Ballot

As October begins ballots will be sent out to every registered voter. If you don’t receive your ballot by October 27^th, request a replacement ballot. And if you will not be home when you expect to get your ballot, you must request an absentee ballot, which should be available next week.

---

Voting

Once you complete your ballot, please don’t forget to sign the ballot return envelope!

Your identification is your signature. To ensure that the signature on the ballot matches the voter’s registration, every signature is examined. If you fail to sign your ballot, you will be sent a letter to make sure that your vote counts if you forget to sign, and or your signature does not match.

You can also place your vote in person as well.

If you are a first-time voter who registered by mail, there are requirements that must be met if you didnt provide a copy of your ID, such as

• current and valid photo ID
• copy of a current utility bill
• bank statement
• government check
• paycheck
• other government document that shows your name and address

---

Returning Your Ballot

There are two options for how to return your ballot. Vote beforehand and mail your ballot back.

You don’t need a stamp! Voters must postmark their ballots by 8 PM on November 8, 2022, which is election day.

You can also drop off your ballot at an authorized drop-off location.

To ensure that every vote counts, and every voice is heard you can encourage your friends, and family members to become registered voters if they aren’t already, and encourage them to go out and vote!

Let’s go out and vote!

Like CLEO TV on Facebook and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter.