National Voter Registration Day September 17th
Every year, the third Tuesday in September is celebrated as National Voter Registration Day; this year, that falls on today, September 17.
National Voter Registration Day is of particular importance this year because 2024 is, of course, an election year. On November 5, Marylanders will elect local and state representatives, as well as help decide our 47th President.
For many Washington College students, this will be the first election in which 
they vote. But whether 2024 is the year you cast your first or fourteenth ballot,
don’t forget to register to vote and request your mail-in ballot or make a plan to
vote early, which starts Thursday, October 24, 2024 and ends Thursday, October 31,
2024, or on Election Day. Voting is a fundamental principle, must never be taken for
granted, and is as important now as it ever has been.
But don’t listen to me, take it from Eleanor Roosevelt! The First Lady spoke at WAC’s 1942 commencement and stressed civic responsibility, the role of women in the political sphere, and the importance of young people’s engagement in the process of democracy.
Listen to Eleanor Roosevelt
“We older people can’t shirk all the responsibility, but you can make yourselves felt if you know how to use your citizenship. Young people say to me every now and then, “But how are we going to register? We don’t count. Nobody listens to us.” Oh, but they will if you use your citizenship, if you really think things through, if you know what you mean by the American way, if you know what you mean by being a citizen of the world, if you know what you want, and if you know how to use citizenship in a democracy. And I hope that boys and girls alike are going to take that responsibility and to know that when you have a privilege, you always have a responsibility.”
To hear Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1942 commencement speech, go to https://washcoll.whirlihost.com/Detail/objects/6748.
For more information about voter registration and the 2024 election, go to
https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2024/
https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org
