Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam

WHEREAS, the right to vote is an important civil liberty that contributes to the health of the American political system and the people who participate in it; and

WHEREAS, there are more than 50 million people with disabilities of all ages who live in communities throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, the disability community has a critical interest in policies enacted at local, state, and national levels that affect the integration of people with disabilities, both young and old into our communities; and

WHEREAS, voting is one way for people with disabilities to participate in local, state, and national policymaking; and

WHEREAS, the involvement of the disability community in public policy is essential to ensure that policies meet the needs of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, there are multiple efforts to develop state disability coalitions around the issue of voting; and

WHEREAS, REV UP America: Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power is a national effort to encourage state and local disability community voting coalitions; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is committed to a comprehensive effort to support Virginians with disabilities – including defending voting rights, ensuring that Virginia is welcoming to all people, maintaining a world class public education system for all students, and building a more diverse economy that creates broad-based prosperity; and

WHEREAS, Virginians can register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles or their local general registrar’s office, by filling out a paper application and mailing it to their local registration office, or completing an online form on the Department of Elections’ website (vote.elections.virginia.gov); and

WHEREAS, Virginians can learn about voter registration and voting accommodations for people with special needs on the Department of Elections’ website (elections.virginia.gov/registration/voters-with-special-needs); and

WHEREAS, in July 2018, people with disabilities and their supporters will celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and

WHEREAS, the American Association of People with Disabilities and members of the disability rights community are organizing a National Disability Voter Registration Week July 16–July 20;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize July 16-20, 2018, as NATIONAL DISABILITY VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.