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EAC Commissioners Commend Efforts of Election Officials, Organizations to Register Voters Ahead of National Voter Registration Day

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Silver Spring, Md. – Ahead of National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chairman Thomas Hicks and Vice Chair Christy McCormick released the following statement:

“Every eligible citizen should have the opportunity to cast a ballot and express their voice. Yet every election, many Americans are not able to vote because they miss a registration deadline, or are unfamiliar with how to register.

“Election officials across the country understand that remedying this problem begins with education and making the process as easy as possible, particularly for voters who have historically faced access issues at the polls. They are working day and night to make elections as accessible, secure, and efficient as possible.

“Every National Voter Registration Day, we see the spirit of American democracy on display. Americans from all walks of life come together to encourage more citizens to exercise their civic duty by taking the first step of registering to vote. Election officials carry that same spirit into Election Day and beyond by doing all they can to ensure that every eligible citizen has the opportunity to vote.

“The EAC commends the efforts of election officials, civil society organizations and private citizens for ensuring every eligible citizen has the ability to cast a ballot. Their work to provide opportunities for participation strengthens our elections and democracy as a whole.”

Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day focuses on increasing awareness of Americans to be able to vote by ensuring their registrations are up to date and supplying any information they may need to cast a ballot.

The EAC has been hosting a month-long online campaign in the lead up to the 2018 National Voter Registration Day highlighting a number of materials the Commission has available to assist election officials and voters alike, including:

  • A National Voter Registration Form that provides an easy-to-access portal for all Americans seeking to register to vote or update their voter registration information
  • A Comprehensive Election Calendar with state and territory-specific election dates and links to state election offices with information about registration deadlines, requesting absentee ballots and more
  • Hosting an Upcoming Key Election Dates online event to discuss two pre-election dates that are important to elections officials and voters: September 22, the 45-day deadline for states to send absentee ballots to uniformed and overseas citizen voters; and September 25, National Voter Registration Day
  • Publishing several blogs from Commissioners about the importance of making voter registration accessible for voters with disabilities and supporting registration and voting for military and overseas voters

For more information about the EAC’s work to ensure accessible and independent voting for all Americans, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at [email protected]


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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov

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hicks statements, mccormick statements, media