Your Vote is Your Voice — And We’re Here to Help You Register!
Voting matters! In a true democracy, where all voices are heard and represented, all people must exercise their right to vote. This is just as important in local and midterm elections as in presidential elections. Your elected federal and state officials influence your everyday life and the policies that hit closest to home.
As a country, we‘re falling short on exercising our right to vote — which has serious consequences for our democracy. In the 2016 presidential election, nearly 92 million eligible Americans did not go to the polls; in the 2014 midterm elections, an estimated 143 million eligible Americans failed to vote, marking the lowest level of voter participation in 72 years. And in New York State today, 2 million people who are eligible are not registered to vote! Now is our chance to turn this trend around.
Voting is not just a political act; it’s a personal one, too. It is your opportunity to be heard, keep elected officials accountable for their decisions, and have a say in important issues that affect your community.
It’s so important to learn about the candidates and whether the policies they support are consistent with your needs, your values, and your rights.
In New York, you must be registered to vote at your current address by October 12 to vote in this year’s November 6 election.
Make sure you use your vote and your voice! Register to vote here.
Find us doing voter registration in NYC before the November 6 election:
- Bay Ridge Farmers Market — Brooklyn, Saturday, Sept. 22 from 9 a.m.- noon
DRAG CON 2018, Javits Center, Manhattan (booth #907)
- Friday, Sept. 28 from 4-8 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 29 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 30 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Happy Hour and Voter Reg at Left Bank, Manhattan, Tuesday, Oct. 2 from 6-8:30 p.m.
St. George Farmer’s Market, Staten Island, Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Manhattan side of the Staten Island Ferry, Tuesday, Oct. 9 from 5:15-7:15 p.m.
Not everyone in this country has access to the right to vote. Research shows that communities of color, young people, and Americans with low incomes are disproportionately affected by registration barriers, inflexible voting hours, and poll closures — making it difficult for these groups to vote.
The voices of disenfranchised communities and those who have been traditionally underrepresented and discriminated against are essential to a democracy. Helping them register and ensuring they can get to the polls and vote is one of the most powerful ways to accomplish this goal.
At Planned Parenthood of New York City, we’re committed to helping you vote and use your voice for the issues that matter to you!
