I remember the first time I cast my ballot in an official election. I voted for my father who was running for city council. I was so proud that day, not only of my dad, but that I was able to execute my civic duty. I was able to easily register to vote by simply filling out a form at my high school and a teacher gave the class a ton of resources to turn to in order to learn about all of the candidates on the ballot. There was a presidential election that year, so there was certainly a lot to learn.
In 2008, six million Americans didn’t vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. Goodwill® is one of nearly 2,000 nonprofits which have partnered with Nonprofit Vote to promote National Voter Registration Day (NVRD).
What is NVRD?
NVRD is the largest one-day effort of the year to register voters. Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, this year’s event occurs on September 22. This single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts will create awareness of voter registration opportunities—reaching thousands of people who may not otherwise be engaged. NVRD is about democracy.
Started in 2012, NRVD is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right—the right to vote. The goals of the 2015 event are to register 80,000 individuals to vote and promote civic engagement and patriotism around voting.
What does this have to do with Goodwill?
Nonprofits whose communities vote have more access to elected officials, increased clout on issues and are in a better position to advance their mission thereby strengthen their public policy agenda. Generally, Goodwill agencies reach people missed by traditional campaigns, contributing to a more active citizenship and an electorate that more fully represents our communities.
Voting not only empowers the people we serve by giving them a voice, but can boost the advocacy efforts of Goodwill. Voter engagement gets us a seat at the table as elected officials don’t listen to voters who don’t vote. Voter engagement can also raise the profile of nonprofits. Candidates and their campaigns seek out and respond to communities with higher voter registration and turnout rates.
How can I get involved?
Make sure you are registered to vote (especially if you have recently moved), promote an event in your area, or simply share information about NVRD via social media, emails, or on the web – partner involvement is easy and the key to a successful event. Find more information here:
http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/.
