Special to the
Opelika Observer
On Sept. 25, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill will join hundreds of different partners around the nation to observe National Voter Registration Day, a special event set to emphasize voter registration.
In Alabama, Merrill is also specifically encouraging a “voter refresh” effort to update state voter rolls with correct information about our citizens.
“Since I became Secretary of State, we have registered more than a million new voters who have helped us shatter state records for voter registration and participation in our elections,” Merrill said. “But we also want our voter rolls to be up-to-date, so we are urging everyone to take a moment to make sure their current address is correct in the state system. We are pleased to participate in this special day that encourages more participation in our electoral process. We continue to work daily to make sure every eligible U.S. citizen in our state is registered to vote and has a photo ID. We want to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
National Voter Registration Day, held on the fourth Thursday of September since 2012, is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors. Since 2012, more than 1.4 million people around the nation have registered to vote or updated their registration as part of this event.
This year, libraries, schools and other partners will hold local voter registration drives.
Since Merrill took office, Alabama has registered 1,064,616 new voters, bringing the state’s total to 3,418,839 as of Sept. 7.
Alabama residents can update their voter registration information by downloading the “Vote for Alabama” app on their smart phone or visiting the Secretary of State website at https://sos.alabama.gov.
“There is no freedom more integral to this republic than the right to vote and participate in our democratic process,” Merrill said. “I am so proud we are able to work with the partners involved with National Voter Registration Day to help make increased participation a reality here in the state of Alabama.”
For a full list of partners or more information about National Voter Registration Day, visit NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org.
Merrill’s office in Montgomery is located at 600 Dexter Ave. S., and can be reached by calling 334-242-7200.