Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — On Sept. 22, Americans will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a massive cross-country effort to register voters well in advance of Election Day this November.

With a presidential election approaching, every eligible American voter should exercise his or her right to be heard at the ballot box, and National Voter Registration Day is the right day to start by getting registered, officials with United Way of Southwest Michigan said. This is why communities across the country are planning to use National Voter Registration Day to increase voter participation.

Thousands of national, state and local organizations and volunteers will be the driving force behind National Voter Registration Day 2020. Partner organizations will coordinate hundreds of National Voter Registration Day events online and offline nationwide, and leverage #NationalVoterRegistrationDay on all social media platforms to drive attention to voter registration.

United Way of Southwest Michigan is proud to be a National Voter Registration Day partner, officials aid. Leading up to Sept. 22, UWSM is targeting eligible voters with a digital marketing campaign that takes them to an easy-to-use online portal where they can register and request an absentee ballot.

Those interested can go to uwsm.org to be directed to the voter registration portal at minonprofitsvote.org/uwsm, which will be available until Election Day, Nov. 3.

On Sept. 22, UWSM will engage the community on its social media platforms with a virtual voter registration event with prominent community members as guests. More details to come!

“We’ve heard from our neighbors that they feel disconnected from their community and powerless to help create change. From racial injustice to rising unemployment, people are looking for safe and meaningful ways to make a difference in their communities,” said Heather Cole, Director of Advocacy and Public Innovation at United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Civic engagement is a top priority for United Way of Southwest Michigan, and it starts with awareness, education, and participation. United Way of Southwest Michigan wants to increase participation in every election and help close the race and age voting gap. Together, we will work towards changing the culture around voting—starting right here at home.”

Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day 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. Nearly three million Americans have registered to vote on the holiday since the inaugural National Voter Registration Day in 2012.