LDF Celebrates White House Announcement Expanding Access to Voter Registration

Read a PDF of our statement here.

The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is pleased the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency that is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is making voter registration easier for visitors to HealthCare.gov. Starting on Sept. 20, 2024, the HealthCare.gov application will include a question allowing applicants to express their interest in receiving information about registering to vote - and those who express an interest will receive a link to Vote.gov for additional information. This new announcement is a welcome step in the right direction.

In response, LDF Director of Policy Demetria McCain issued the following statement:

"We applaud the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for providing voter registration access within the application for coverage on the federal health insurance marketplace. This is a welcomed program that advances what state, and certain federal agencies have already been doing to provide nonpartisan voter registration opportunities under the National Voter Registration Act, otherwise known as the 'Motor Voter Act,' for over 30 years. This new path expanding nonpartisan voter registration access for people interacting with HealthCare.gov will give countless eligible voters the opportunity to participate in our democracy.

"Moreover, there is a strong relationship between civic participation and improved health outcomes. By taking this step, HHS is empowering a broad cross section of individuals throughout the country to improve their lives, including people who may have limited access to information about how to register to vote and participate in elections.

"LDF and other nonpartisan groups have long advocated for expanded access to voter registration to ensure all eligible voters can fully participate in our democracy. As the nation focuses on upcoming elections, we must all remember democracy is an ideal that requires year-round activity. Voting for city council, the local school board, and state officials are just as important as voting for president. LDF will continue to educate and empower voters because our vote is our voice."

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957-although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.