By Desiree Hoffman
Director of Advocacy and Policy

The YWCA USA is excited to partner with Nonprofit VOTE for National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) 2014 on September 23!

Close to 50 local YWCAs across the country are engaged in this day of democracy, and have pledged to register their own staff, or partner with allied organizations such as the League of Women Voters, to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. The stakes are high, with the entire House of Representatives up for grabs and one-third of the Senate up for re-election. And there’s a chance that the House of Representatives could be made up of 20% female Representatives for the first time in its history if key races are won.

One way to rally and mobilize young voters, women voters and communities’ of color to the polls is to talk about the issues that matter most to them. These include equal pay, gun violence and domestic violence, immigration reform, education, raising the minimum wage, affordable and quality health care, and child care.

Unfortunately, there is a problem: turnout of women voters during mid-term elections is typically low. Although unmarried women made up a quarter of the electorate voting for President in 2012, voter participation among unmarried women will drop off significantly in the upcoming mid-term: from 58% in 2012 to 39% in 2014.

As Hillary Clinton said recently, “I know that they might not be as glamorous as presidential elections, but these upcoming midterm elections are crucial.”

The National Association of Secretaries passed a five-year resolution declaring the fourth Tuesday of every September to be National Voter Registration Day. If you haven’t registered to vote or need a refresher on how, click here, and visit your local YWCA to find out more.

Need help registering? Click here to download a PDF of state-based resources from the YWCA USA.