Voter registration day may be coming to a close…but you still have time to register! Most voter registration deadlines are in early October though, so you don’t have much time left!
In 2008, six million Americans didn’t vote. Today, September 25th, marks National Voter Registration Day. If you haven’t registered already, register now. Then tell everyone you know that you did it!
Examples like Senator Al Franken’s 235 vote victory in 2008 and other close races should be a constant reminder of the difference few hundred votes can really make in elections. Voting is essential to maintaining healthy democratic processes and it’s time for women make our voices heard–especially considering the recent political climate that has been increasingly hostile to women’s rights and lives. The only way to show our elected officials that we won’t take it anymore is to get out the vote and make change.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and as women’s rights activists are acutely aware, there is much at stake for women in this year’s elections. Women’s rights have been threatened in unprecedented ways and it is time to stand up and vote for candidates who respect women and stand with women! Not only are we voting to determine our next president, but we’re also choosing our representatives in Congress (women are running in record numbers!), and deciding the fate of critical ballot proposals. All of these elections will have a huge impact on the political landscape of the coming years.
This fall, there will be measures of concern in 34 states, covering everything from abortion rights to health care to same-sex marriage to workers’ rights. Become familiar with your state’s ballot initiatives and what you can do to get involved in your community.
National Voter Registration Day is a reminder that mobilizing voters and making sure they are properly registered by critical deadlines is essential for maintaining the integrity of elections and progress for women’s equality and rights. Surveys form the 2008 presidential race revealed that single women were drivers of the new electorate, yet only 22.8% of eligible young voters 18-29 voted just two years later in 2010, compared to 70% of seniors 65 years and older. Let’s motivate a high turnout and use our political power. It’s time to demonstrate our political power.
Today’s date on the calendar should serve as your sticky note: “Remember to Register!” If you’re anything like me (or any other social media addict) you need notifications to blow up on your news feed. So be that notification and help a person out and post reminders about voter registration to your followers, your friends, and your readers. Ladies, it took 72 years to win the right to vote. It’s time to use it.
Get involved at National Voter Registration Day and Get Out Her Vote, and check out the HERvotes website for more information on what’s at stake for women in this election. Become part of the GOHV Facebook event to stay in the loop and get all the latest updates from your campus team.
Download PDFs of our feminist voter registration signs and share them with us on twitter or facebook! Use the hashtag #RegisteredFeminist!
PDF 1: http://feministcampus.wpengine.com/vote/2012/thisfeministvotes.pdf
PDF 2: http://feministcampus.wpengine.com/vote/2012/imaregisteredfeminist.pdf
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