The Leadership Conference Applauds HHS’ Actions to Promote Voter Registration

WASHINGTON — Leslie Proll, senior director of the voting rights program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the inclusion of voter registration information in the HealthCare.gov application process:

“The Leadership Conference applauds the Biden-Harris administration, and more specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services, for incorporating a voter registration question into the HealthCare.gov application process. Our voting rights coalition continues to support the significant role of the federal government in promoting access to voter registration first memorialized  more than 30 years ago in the bipartisan National Voter Registration Act, and more recently in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting. This action underscores both the administration’s authority and commitment to expanding voting access and ensuring all voters, regardless of background or race, are able to participate in our democracy. 

“Inserting a voter registration question into the process by which millions of Americans seek health insurance will provide meaningful access to voter registration services for moderate to low-income citizens and people of color who face barriers to the ballot because of economic status or where they live. By connecting health care access to voter registration, the administration recognizes the powerful link between civic engagement and positive health outcomes, empowering countless individuals who have been excluded from our democracy to improve their lives and their futures.

“Earlier this week, we celebrated National Voter Registration Day, a reminder to everyone that the first step to participating in our democracy is registering to vote. In advance of an election where many of our rights and freedoms are at stake, we encourage everyone to visit vote.gov to check their voter registration status and make a plan to vote, up and down the ballot.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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