81 FR 67089 - National Voter Registration Day, 2016

Executive Office of the President

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 189 (September 29, 2016)

Page Range		67089-67090
FR Document		2016-23779

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 67089-67090]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23779]



[[Page 67087]]

Vol. 81

Thursday,

No. 189

September 29, 2016

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 9503--National Voter Registration Day, 2016


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 189 / Thursday, September 29, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 67089]]

                Proclamation 9503 of September 26, 2016

                
National Voter Registration Day, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                One of the most fundamental and sacred rights of any 
                democracy is the right to vote; in order for our 
                government to function effectively and respond to the 
                needs of our people, all citizens can and must play a 
                role in shaping it. Each year on National Voter 
                Registration Day, we reaffirm the strong sense of civic 
                pride among our people and encourage friends, family 
                members, and neighbors to get involved in civic life by 
                registering to vote.

                Democracy is not a spectator sport. If we are serious 
                about improving our country and ensuring our government 
                reflects our values, we cannot afford to sit out on 
                Election Day. Unfortunately, among those who are 
                eligible to vote, too many choose not to--far too many 
                people disenfranchise themselves by not getting 
                involved. When we do not take full advantage of the 
                right to vote, we not only give away our voice; our 
                power; our ability to shape the future of the country 
                we love--we also do a disservice to the generations of 
                Americans before us who risked everything, including 
                their lives, to protect this fundamental aspect of our 
                Republic.

                Our brand of democracy is hard, and it requires our 
                citizens to be able to fully participate in a smooth 
                and effective way. Through a bipartisan, independent 
                commission dedicated to improving the voting process, 
                we are working to ensure our democracy and our 
                elections function the way they are supposed to. 
                Whether through strengthening mechanisms that allow 
                more people to vote--such as online registration--or 
                going door-to-door to register voters in our 
                communities, we must make registering to vote easier. 
                By protecting and expanding this right, we can ensure 
                this grand experiment in self-government works for more 
                Americans. For more information on how to register to 
                vote, visit www.VOTE.USA.gov.

                It is easy to feel frustrated when the pace of change 
                is slow--and to lose hope in the political process as a 
                result. But we cannot give in to that cynicism. Heroic 
                things happen when people get involved. Our government 
                is only as strong as what we put into it, and it is 
                only reflective of the will of our citizenry when we 
                exercise our right to vote. Today, as we once again 
                celebrate National Voter Registration Day, let us carry 
                forward the tradition of promoting voter registration 
                and civic engagement, recommit to exercising one of the 
                most precious of our democratic rights, and remember 
                that the task of perfecting our Union belongs to us 
                all.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim September 27, 2016, 
                as National Voter Registration Day. I call upon all 
                Americans to observe this day by ensuring they are 
                registered to vote.

[[Page 67090]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-23779
Filed 9-28-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P

$67089 Federal Register Presidential Documents Vol. 81, No. 189 Thursday, September 29, 2016 Title 3— Proclamation 9503 of September 26, 2016 The President National Voter Registration Day, 2016 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation One of the most fundamental and sacred rights of any democracy is the right to vote; in order for our government to function effectively and respond to the needs of our people, all citizens can and must play a role in shaping it. Each year on National Voter Registration Day, we reaffirm the strong sense of civic pride among our people and encourage friends, family mem- bers, and neighbors to get involved in civic life by registering to vote. Democracy is not a spectator sport. If we are serious about improving our country and ensuring our government reflects our values, we cannot afford to sit out on Election Day. Unfortunately, among those who are eligible to vote, too many choose not to—far too many people disenfranchise them- selves by not getting involved. When we do not take full advantage of the right to vote, we not only give away our voice; our power; our ability to shape the future of the country we love—we also do a disservice to the generations of Americans before us who risked everything, including their lives, to protect this fundamental aspect of our Republic. Our brand of democracy is hard, and it requires our citizens to be able to fully participate in a smooth and effective way. Through a bipartisan, independent commission dedicated to improving the voting process, we are working to ensure our democracy and our elections function the way they are supposed to. Whether through strengthening mechanisms that allow more people to vote—such as online registration—or going door-to-door to register voters in our communities, we must make registering to vote easier. By protecting and expanding this right, we can ensure this grand experiment in self-government works for more Americans. For more informa- tion on how to register to vote, visit www.VOTE.USA.gov. It is easy to feel frustrated when the pace of change is slow—and to lose hope in the political process as a result. But we cannot give in to that cynicism. Heroic things happen when people get involved. Our government is only as strong as what we put into it, and it is only reflective of the will of our citizenry when we exercise our right to vote. Today, as we once again celebrate National Voter Registration Day, let us carry forward the tradition of promoting voter registration and civic engagement, recommit to exercising one of the most precious of our democratic rights, and remember that the task of perfecting our Union belongs to us all. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 27, 2016, as National Voter Registration Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by ensuring they are registered to vote. mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with D0 VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:26 Sep 28, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4705 Sfmt 4790 E:\FR\FM\29SED0.SGM 29SED0$

Document Created: 2016-09-29 04:14:04
Document Modified: 2016-09-29 04:14:04

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Presidential Documents
FR Citation		81 FR 67089