San Rafael, CA – National Voter Registration Day is September 22, and the Marin County Elections Department is busy planning a series of nonpartisan events from September 20-27 to mark the occasion.
“We want to raise awareness about the importance of voting, and registering is the first step,” said Marin County Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts.
Although Marin County traditionally has high participation in elections, about 15 percent of eligible residents are not registered to vote.
Many local nonprofits are helping to organize the events, including Marin Latino Leaders, the League of Women Voters of Marin County, Dominican University's Political Science Department, the Center for Independent Living, and the Ritter House.
“Registering voters is not just a single-day event,” said Veda Florez, Communications Outreach Consultant for the Elections Department. “We can't possibly register all of the eligible people in one day, so that's why we are turning it into a week-long event.” Florez plans to have registration tables set up at locations around the county, including farmers markets, County Health and Human Services offices, the Corte Madera Safeway store and in the San Rafael Canal neighborhood.
This year the Elections Department would like nonprofits that normally would not get involved with voter registration to add a link on their websites so people can register online. The link, www.registertovote.ca.gov, will connect people to the California Secretary of State’s website, which provides the online voter registration form. The groups are encouraged to keep the link active until October 19, which is the last day to register for the November 3 election.
Volunteers are needed to help staff the voter registration events. Call Veda Florez at 415-299-0035 to participate.