One of the most important rights a U.S. citizen has is the right to vote, and voting is crucial to maintaining a well-functioning democracy. To emphasize the importance of this basic right , Google used its graffiti pattern (Google Doodle) on Tuesday to promote the National Voter Registration Day. Since 2012, this non-partisan citizen festival has been celebrated across the United States every September, as part of a coordinated effort to get eligible citizens to register for voting.
Volunteers and organizations across the United States will take to the streets on Tuesday to promote the opportunity to become voters to qualified citizens who may not be registered.
More than one in five qualified Americans are not registered to vote according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the festival has helped nearly 4.7 million people register to vote over the years, according to the National Voter Registration Day organization.
Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss the registration deadline, have not updated their registration, or do not know how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has a chance to vote. "
As President Joe Biden said on Monday in an announcement praising National Voter Registration Day, "democracy can only be done if everyone can participate. He encourages all eligible Americans to make sure their voter registration is up to date, and quotes the late civil rights representative John Lewis Congressman, saying, "Democracy is not a state; it is an act".
If you are a qualified U.S. citizen who is not registered to vote, but is not sure where to start, you can visit Vote.gov for more information and resources.
