Presidential Documents

65579 

Federal Register 

Vol. 88, No. 183 

Friday, September 22, 2023 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10627 of September 18, 2023 

National Voter Registration Day, 2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

The right to vote and to have that vote counted is the threshold of democracy. 

Without it, nothing is possible, but with it, anything is. On National Voter 

Registration Day, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring every American 

has equal opportunity to participate in our democracy, and we encourage 

all eligible Americans to register to vote. 

Since the founding of our country, countless Americans have fought to 

secure the right to vote and to have that vote counted for all. Women 

did not secure the right to vote until 1920. Black Americans were denied 

full citizenship and voting rights up until 1965. Time and again, Americans 

have fought against great opposition—they have marched, protested, and 

even died for the right to vote. They have done the hard work of our 

democracy by registering voters and getting them to the polls. 

Yet, even today, the voting rights of so many hang in the balance. The 

Supreme Court weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act, and in the years 

since, States have enacted dozens of anti-voting laws. On January 6, 2021— 

one of the darkest moments of our Nation’s history—we saw the violent 

and deadly insurrection at the Capitol perpetrated by election deniers. It 

is clear that the fight to preserve our democratic values and norms is 

not over. Just as generations of Americans past rose to the occasion, protecting 

and securing the right to vote, we must answer the call to fight for our 

democracy today. 

Delivering a Government by and for the people begins and ends with the 

ballot box. My Administration will do everything in our power to protect 

it. It is why I signed an Executive Order that established a whole-of-government effort to promote access to voter registration and election information 

all across America, including in underserved communities. In response, 

Federal agencies have taken action to help make it easier for veterans and 

college students to register to vote. The Department of Justice has also 

doubled its voting rights staff. As President, I will continue to fight back 

against State legislation that undermines the will of the American people. 

I continue to call on the Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and 

the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to expand access to voting 

and prevent voter suppression. Passing these laws is the only way to fully 

secure the right to vote in every State. 

Today, I think of the words of the late civil rights trailblazer Representative 

John Lewis: ‘‘Democracy is not a state; it is an act.’’ As our democracy 

faces threats from those who seek to weaken the right to vote, it has never 

been more important to act—to protect and expand the right to vote. I 

know that we will—not just because our cause is just, our vision is clear, 

and our hearts are full but because generations of Americans refused to 

give up until they secured voting rights for all of us. Now it is our turn 

to secure the right to vote for all Americans once more. For the generations 

to come, for the strength of our democracy, and for the preservation of 

our extraordinary experiment in self-government, we must remain committed 

to securing the right to vote for all and redeeming the soul of our Nation. 


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65580 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

On National Voter Registration Day, I call on all eligible Americans to 

ensure that they are registered to vote by checking that their registration 

is accurate and up to date and to help their communities do the same. 

Visit www.Vote.gov for more information on how to register to vote. I 

also urge policymakers and constituents alike to join me in preserving, 

reinforcing, and expanding this essential constitutional right. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 19, 2023, 

as National Voter Registration Day. I call on all eligible Americans to observe 

this day by ensuring that they are accurately registered and by committing 

to cast a ballot in upcoming elections. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day 

of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20819 

Filed 9–21–23; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3395–F3–P 


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