Thoughts from NWHF Staff on National Voter Registration Day

September 27, 2016 is National Voter Registration Day!

"On September 11, 2001, I, along with the rest of the nation, watched the events of the day unfold. I was living in Los Angeles, and it was around 6 a.m. when I first heard of the attacks on the news. That was a tragic and confusing day. There were so many important things to prioritize: calling our friends in New York, being with and being there for others, and just trying to understand what was happening. It was also an election day. I remember going to my neighborhood polling place and casting my ballot for our local elections before going to work. There are so many things we are called to do—and have the privilege and right to do—in this country. The issues on the ballot that day paled in comparison to national and global events, but we were voting on issues that would impact children, families, workers, residents…everyone… in our corner of the world. I never take that for granted, even on historic days like that." - Suk Rhee, Vice President of Strategy & Community Partnership  

- Stephenie Smith, Executive Support & Operations Manager

"I have vivid memories of accompanying my father to the polls as a little girl and being in awe of the ritual of it: the curtained cubicles, the sharpened pencils and the punch cards. Even though we only vote by mail in Oregon now, I still love participating in the democratic process, because it’s a way of joining my community to make a collective decision. I’m also playing a small but critical part in our country’s democratic process, while briefly setting aside my social status and identity. By voting, I am an equal citizen among many others." - Shannon Duff, Grant Administrator

- Eduardo Moreno, Health & Education Officer

"So many of us use social media to let our voices be heard. Now it’s time for us to let our voices be heard where it counts. Get out and vote!" - Michael Reyes Andrillon, Community Engagement Officer

- Nichole June Maher, President & Chief Executive Officer

"My family took their responsibility to vote very seriously. As a child, I remember watching my mom enter the voting booth. With the curtain and levers it all seemed so mysterious. Now, as an adult, I love Oregon’s ‘Vote-by-Mail’ system, it allows me time to consider my options and to vote with my friends and neighbors. We can inform and challenge each other. I know my vote also counts for those who cannot vote, such as our children or people with different citizenship or legal status. Voting makes me feel like we are in it together." - Jen Matheson, Community Engagement Officer

- Laura Nash, Communications Coordinator

"I vote because of the passion of my 5th grade teacher from Jacksonville, Oregon who stressed the importance of our civic duty to vote and the sacrifices that were made to make it possible. So basically I'm afraid of the heartbreak my teacher would feel if I wasn't doing my part in democracy. That's why I vote." - Jason Hilton, Vice President of Finance

- Jesse Beason, Director of Public Affairs

“Voting is empowering as it makes me feel like my voice matters. I always get a sense of hope and excitement when dropping off my ballot, a perpetual longing for change and reform thinking of the generations to follow.” - Katie Kordash, Senior Accountant