US Voter Registration Day 2018: Google Doodle tells users how to register to vote on November 6

As the 2018 midterm elections loom in the United States, one of the world’s largest and most influential technology companies is doing their part to encourage civic participation.

Google has just unveiled a new Google Doodle to mark U.S. National Voter Registration Day for Tuesday, September 25, 2018. The new Google Doodle offers a link to a tool containing critical information about registering to vote ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.

Here’s all you need to know about what and when U.S. National Voter Registration Day is, how to register to vote in the U.S. and what a Google Doodle is.

What is National Voter Registration Day?

National Voter Registration Day is an annual event held to encourage voter registration in the United States and to celebrate the country’s democratic history.

First observed in 2012, this nonpartisan event sees volunteers and organizations from all across the country hold coordinated media, field and technology efforts to encourage voter registration and actively engage people across the country to register to vote.

The event mobilizes some 10,000 volunteers, educates millions of people about their voting rights and signed up more than 750,000 people across the U.S. to register to vote in 2016 alone.

When is National Voter Registration Day 2018?

National Voter Registration Day 2018 is currently being held on Tuesday, September 25.

It’s always held on the fourth Tuesday of September.

How to register to vote

To vote in the U.S., eligible voters are required to be at least 18 years of age by Election Day and meet any specific requirements set forth by their state. Noncitizens and convicted felons are not eligible to vote in the country.

Every state, with the exception of North Dakota, requires voters to register in advance of Election Day. Those looking to register to vote are strongly advised to check on the U.S. Voter Foundation website for their specific state deadline.

Registration can be done online on NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org or on Vote.gov by completing a brief form. In addition, both of these websites can also be used to record an address or name change. They also offer services for U.S. citizens living abroad and U.S. military service members stationed abroad for absentee ballot registration.

Prospective voters in the U.S. can also register in-person at their local election office, their state Department of Motor Vehicles office or an armed services recruitment center.

They can also fill out and mail in a National Mail Voter Registration Form.

After signing up to vote, local election offices send voters polling cards to confirm their enrollment and give directions to their local polling station. Notably, some states and cities require that voters present a valid form of identification when showing up at their polling station.

It’s also advised that people already registered to vote double check their registration status ahead of Election Day to ensure that they haven’t been accidentally purged from voter rolls due to inactivity or relocating.

What is a Google Doodle?

Google Doodles are changes to Google’s homepage logo on a temporary basis to reflect a key individual, event, anniversary, accomplishment and the like.

First introduced back in 1998 to commemorate the Burning Man festival, they were initially created by Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin before a new in-house team called Doodlers was established to produce them on a more regular and consistent basis. 

In addition to marking major holidays, Google Doodles in recent years have also celebrated events such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and notable people such as Fred Rogers and Josefa Llanes Escoda.