Buescher Declares September 2010 National Voter Registration Month

Calls for Increased Awareness for Oct. 4 Voter Registration Deadline

Denver, September 2, 2010 – Secretary of State Bernie Buescher today joined fellow members of the National Association of Secretaries of States, which represents chief state election officials in 39 states, in declaring September 2010 National Voter Registration Month. Buescher is working with Colorado’s local election administrators to make the state’s eligible voters aware of registration deadlines and requirements for this year’s general election, as well as promoting state resources to help with the registration process.

“Building on the excitement we saw during the primary, it’s my hope voters will check their registration and make sure their information is up to date,” Buescher said. “I’m also encouraging our young people whose 18th birthdays are on or before November 2, to register today.”

Colorado law requires that voters be registered 29 days before the election, which means voters must be registered this year by October 4. Individuals, who have a valid Colorado driver’s license, will be able to register online at GoVoteColorado.com. Already, more than 21,000 voters have registered or have updated their registration using the state’s online system.

“Now is the time to get registered to vote. The process is easier, faster and more convenient than ever before,” said NASS President Matt Dunlap, Maine secretary of state. “In most states, you can also check your voter registration status online to make sure that your information is up-to-date. This is really critical for people who have recently moved, changed their name or had their voting rights restored under the law. If anything is outdated or incorrect, there is time to get it straightened out with your local election office, so you can still vote in the November election.”

Forty states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, offer voter registration lookups designed to help voters check their registration status online. Eight states (Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Oregon, Utah and Washington) allow voter registration and registration updates via the Internet.

New for this year, NASS and Tangent Media LLC have released a Can I Vote widget that allows Internet users in Colorado and throughout the U.S. to directly access official, nonpartisan registration and voting information that is specific to where they live in a simple, portable format. It functions much like the association’s Can I Vote website, www.canivote.org, which helps connect users to state and local election websites with voting forms, online tools, election official contact information, and more.