It’s National Voter Registration Day! Now is the time to prepare for the year’s upcoming elections. Register in September, vote in November! Read on for more information about the history of NVRD, important dates to keep in mind, and further resources to help you be informed at the polls.
WHAT IS NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY?
National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is a nonpartisan civic holiday that was first observed in 2012 and is celebrated on the first Thursday of every September. According to the website, NVRD “seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.” It’s not too late to participate! Become a partner, host or attend a registration event, promote NVRD at your organization, or check out the toolkits and additional resources for individuals, which includes webinars. And finally, make sure that you’re registered to vote!
IMPORTANT DATES TO KEEP IN MIND
View this calendar from HarrisVotes.com for important election dates for the calendar year of 2021. The 2021 election is a uniform election.
· National Voter Registration Day – September 28
· Last day to register to vote – October 4
· Early voting – October 18-29
· Election Day – November 2, 2021
OTHER DATES TO KEEP IN MIND
National Voter Registration Day and their partners encourage participation in Civic Holidays, which are nonpartisan “days of action” that celebrate the democratic process. During Campus Takeover month, held each September, students are encouraged to host voter registration initiatives on their campus. #NationalVoterEducationWeek, which was launched in 2020 along with Vote Early Day and takes place the first week of October, aims to inform and prepare voters for the polls through five days of focused initiatives: #VoteReady (Monday), #MailReady (Tuesday), #VotePlanReady (Wednesday), #BallotReady (Thursday), and #VoteReady (Friday). Election Hero Day is a newly established civic holiday that celebrates election workers and volunteers on November 1st.
National Black Voter Day was first recognized by the National Urban League and BET in 2020 and was celebrated on September 17th in 2021 for its second year of observance. This initiative was created to encourage Black Americans to register to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE POLLS
There are many resources available from nonpartisan organizations that help inform voters about registering and preparing to vote, as well as what to expect at the polls, on the ballot, and after casting your vote.
Register to vote
If you are a first time voter, VOTE411 has provided a checklist to help you get #VoteReady. If you aren’t sure if you’re already registered to vote, check your voter registration status through the Texas Secretary of State’s Am I Registered? tool or the voter registration database maintained by the Harris County Election Administrator’s Office.
What’s on my ballot
For information about upcoming elections, including polling places, candidate information, and ballot measures, view your Vote411 Voter Guide. The best source of voting information for residents of Harris County is HarrisVotes.com, a service of the Harris County Clerk’s Election Division, whose commitment to S.A.F.E. voting will ensure a Secure, Accessible, Fair, and Efficient voting experience for all. You can download a sample ballot as well as find your polling place through their website, or text VOTE to 1-833-YES-0700.
What to expect at the polls
As a registered voter in Texas, you are guaranteed rights when you vote, including the right to report possible abuses of a voter’s rights or voting procedures during an election. The Texas Secretary of State’s office provides an overview of what activities are and aren’t allowed at the polls. For more information about your rights as a voter in Texas, check out this research guide by the Texas State Law Library.
After voting
Election complaints to the Texas Secretary of State may be submitted by email, mail, or fax using this form. Residents of Harris County are encouraged to contact your Harris County Election Administrator, Isabel Longoria, with any concerns about exercising your right to vote by calling 713-755-6965. For those who have questions or concerns about accessibility accommodation while voting, contact your Harris County ADA coordinator, Ramiro Ojeda, at the same phone number or by email: ADA@vote.hctx.net.
FURTHER INFORMATION
After the 2020 presidential election, efforts to reevaluate the election process have been introduced at the state and federal level, with some states enacting legislation that may affect how and where you vote. One such act of legislation is Senate Bill 1, passed in the most recent Texas legislative session, will go into effect on December 2, 2021 and will not affect the uniform election of November 2021. HarrisVotes.com answers frequently asked questions pertaining to Senate Bill 1 on their website.
The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library is proud to be a National Voter Registration Day partner. 2020 was a historic year for many reasons, and the Law Library encouraged all county residents to exercise their right to vote during the 2020 presidential election. 2020 also marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which the Law Library celebrated by hosting a symposium in honor of a century of progress in voting rights for women, bringing together community partners to discuss the history of the suffragette movement and its importance to the democratic process today. You can browse other past Ex Libris Juris blog posts on voting here.