September 20, 2022 – On September 20, 2022, thousands of national, state, and local organizations and volunteers will be celebrating National Voter Registration Day 2022, a massive cross-country effort to register voters well in advance of Election Day this November. The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) is proud to join this movement as an official partner.
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders came out in historic numbers in the past few election cycles, where Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders had the highest increase in presidential turnout among any racial group, followed by Asian Americans and Asian Americans had the highest midterm turnout gain in 2014. This year, more than 11 million Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) will be able to vote, making up nearly 5% of the nation’s eligible voters. Unfortunately, one of the biggest barriers to AAPI civic participation is voter registration.
“This National Voter Registration Day, we’re doing our part to get eligible voters registered,” said Krystle Canare, Policy Director of NAAPIMHA “No person should be denied their right to vote due to barriers they may experience with registration or any other aspect of the voting process, including barriers associated with living with a mental illness. We hope that this special day dedicated to answering questions related to voter registration and supporting community members to register to vote will help get them to the polls.”
According to the 2022 Asian American Voter Survey, over two-thirds of registered Asian American voters are planning to vote - but we need to make sure we are reaching more than registered voters. As a mental health organization, we know the power of reclaiming who you are and expressing your freedom of choice, because that too, is mental health. This starts by encouraging you, your friends and loved ones to register to vote or check their voter registration status, here – and make a plan to vote, whether it's by-mail, early in-person, or on Election Day!
On September 20, NAAPIMHA encourages eligible voters from across the country to register to vote at the following virtual events:
National Council for Asian Pacific Americans Twitter Storm
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2-3 PM ET / 11 AM - 12 PM PT
NCAPA will reshare proverb graphics about voting and amplifying resources from member organizations. Follow @NCAPATweets and hashtag #AAPIVoteReady to participate.
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Phonebank
Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 6PM - 8PM ET / 3PM - 5PM PT
Help get people registered to vote! Sign up here: bit.ly/22NVRDAPALADC
And in-person, AAPIVote and Alliance for Civic Engagement (ACE) Partners will reach tens of thousands of AAPI voters through their events across the country: apiavote.org/nvrd22events
In addition to National Voter Registration Day, NAAPIMHA is proud to partner with the following Get Out the Vote initiatives gearing up for the Elections:
National Voter Education Week (Oct 3 – 7, 2022) – National Voter Education Week is a campaign that will equip voters with the tools, information, and confidence they need to cast their ballots this Fall. Visit www.votereducationweek.org
National Vote Early Day (Oct. 28, 2022) – Vote Early Day is a movement of nonprofits, businesses, election administrators, and creatives working to ensure all Americans know their options to vote early. Visit www.voteearlyday.org
Power the Polls (On-going) – Power the Polls is a first-of-its-kind initiative to recruit poll workers to ensure a safe, fair election for all voters. Visit: www.powerthepolls.org
About NAAPIMHA
The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting the mental health and well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.