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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 22, 2020) – Six members of the bipartisan Tennessee Mayors Growing Civic Engagement (TMGCE) cohort are joining with ThinkTennessee and state and local leaders from across the country to honor National Voter Registration Day.

Today, City of Athens Mayor Chuck Burris and City Manager C. Seth Sumner, City of Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, City of Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, City of Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, City of Kingsport Mayor Pat Shull and Weakley County Mayor Jake Bynum released proclamations recognizing the national day in their communities.

Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to vote.

“This year, we’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible responsibility that our state and local leaders have when it comes to protecting and supporting their constituents,” said ThinkTennessee Advocacy and Government Relations Director Dawn Schluckebier. “We choose leaders—and help shape the decisions they make—on Election Day, which is why voter engagement is so critical.”

According to recently released data from the 2018 Elections Performance Index, Tennessee lags most other states when it comes to rates of voter registration (#48) and turnout (#44). ThinkTennessee helped organize and launch the thirteen-member mayoral project in 2019 in an effort to increase civic engagement in local communities.

“The Tennessee Mayors Growing Civic Engagement movement is a powerful tool to identify and practice approaches to reinvigorate the republic,” said Athens City Manager C. Seth Sumner. “The City of Athens is proud to join our peers today and we call on all Tennesseans to use this opportunity to be prepared to participate in November’s election.”

Tennesseans can register to vote online at https://ovr.govote.tn.gov/ and learn more about upcoming elections at https://www.govotetn.com/election-day.html

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