IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 758 
Designating a ‘‘National Month of Voter Registration’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 2, 2012 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. BRADY of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. NADLER, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. CHU, Mr. 
BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CAR-
SON of Indiana, Mr. CLARKE of Michigan, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. 
COHEN, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. FILNER, Ms. 
FUDGE, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. HAHN, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. HOLT, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE 
BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. LEWIS of 
Georgia, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. MOORE, 
Mr. PETERS, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. RUSH, Ms. 
LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, 
Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. TOWNS, 
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. GRIJALVA) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Designating a ‘‘National Month of Voter Registration’’. 
Whereas the United States has overcome the stains of State- 
sponsored voting discrimination, which included State 
voting qualifications such as property ownership, religious 
qualifications, grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and lit-
eracy tests, designed to exclude from voting racial minori-
ties, poorer voters, and certain religious groups; 
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•HRES 758 IH 
Whereas the courts have struck down these State practices 
because the State laws conflict with the Constitution; 
Whereas the Congress has continuously moved to expand the 
franchise of voting; 
Whereas the 13th amendment, the 14th amendment, the 
15th amendment, the 19th amendment, the 23d Amend-
ment, the 24th amendment, and the 26th amendment 
were enacted by Congress to protect minorities, poorer 
voters, women, the elderly, and youth from voting dis-
crimination; 
Whereas in 1965, the Congress passed the Voting Rights Act 
in order to remedy past discrimination in voting and pro-
tect vulnerable citizens from practices that infringe on 
the right to vote or elect a candidate of their choice; 
Whereas in 1993, the Congress passed the National Voter 
Registration Act to declare protections around the voting 
process, increase the number of citizens who register to 
vote, and encourage governments to protect the integrity 
of the electoral process; 
Whereas in 2002, in response to the controversy surrounding 
the 2000 Presidential Election, the Congress passed the 
Help America Vote Act that provided new standards for 
voting systems, created an independent Commission to 
assist with the administration of Federal Elections, and 
established minimum standards for States and local gov-
ernments who administer Federal elections; 
Whereas the Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act 
five times, most recently in 2006, recognizing the need 
for continued enforcement against State practices in vot-
ing that discriminate or disenfranchise vulnerable citi-
zens; 
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•HRES 758 IH 
Whereas since 2010, some States have enacted voting 
changes that are reminiscent of historic State-sponsored 
voting discrimination; 
Whereas some States have already disenfranchised some 
American youth, elderly citizens, and former Members of 
Congress through strict voting changes; 
Whereas some States still continue to disenfranchise Amer-
ican citizens living and working in our communities with 
past criminal convictions; 
Whereas Members of Congress and notable civil rights orga-
nizations have studied these laws and calculated that they 
will have a grave impact on millions of voting eligible mi-
nority, elderly, youth, and poor voters seeking to register 
to vote and vote on election day; 
Whereas since March 12, 2012, two State courts in Wis-
consin have ruled that Wisconsin’s voter ID law was ‘‘un-
constitutional’’ under Wisconsin law, holding that ‘‘a gov-
ernment that undermines the very foundation of its exist-
ence—the people’s inherent, pre-constitutional right to 
vote—imperils its legitimacy as a government by the peo-
ple, for the people, and especially of the people’’; 
Whereas representatives and political leaders in States like 
New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Florida have made 
public admissions about how certain laws in their States 
were designed to put a dent in the democratic process; 
Whereas without a response from the Congress, millions of 
American voters may be subjected to State actions that 
will harm the franchise; 
Whereas the month of September would be an appropriate 
month to commemorate a national focus on the impor-
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•HRES 758 IH 
tance of every citizen being registered and empowered to 
vote; 
Whereas every voting eligible citizen should, during the 
month of September, register to vote, verify that their 
name, address, and other personal information matches 
what is on record at their State or local board of elec-
tions, confirm that they have everything in hand that is 
required on election day to vote, and confirm the polling 
place they will be voting at in November; and 
Whereas States should abolish all restrictive forms of voter 
ID that disenfranchise vulnerable voting eligible citizens, 
comply with the National Voter Registration Act and pro-
tect the voting rights of public assistance and disability 
clients during an economic downturn; and stop mis-
guided, discriminatory, and inaccurate purging programs 
that have the risk of purging eligible citizen voters: Now, 
therefore be it 
Resolved, That there be designated a ‘‘National 
Month of Voter Registration’’ to encourage every voting 
age citizen to register to vote, confirm their voting infor-
mation is correct with their local board of elections, con-
firm they have everything in hand that is required on elec-
tion day to vote, and to confirm their polling place for 
election day. The President is authorized and requested 
to issue a proclamation for each of these months, calling 
upon the people of the United States to observe those 
months with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and ac-
tivities. 
Æ 
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