THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

         PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING ON MORE 
                  STATES TO IMPLEMENT "MOTOR VOTER" LAW

Pushing to expand voter registration and for swift and full implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, or "Motor Voter" law, President Clinton today signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to help the remaining states which have not yet implemented the law to do so now.

The deadline for all states to implement the law is January 1, 1995, but already a majority of states have acted. The President today called on the remaining states to not wait until the deadline approaches to expand voter registration services to the citizens in their states.

"This law creates the opportunity to include millions of Americans in the political process who have previously been excluded because of difficult and confusing voting rules," the President said.

"I urge all Americans of all political parties to register to vote and I urge the voter registration groups to continue and expand their efforts to ensure as many of our citizens as possible are registered."

The executive order signed by the President today will: call on federal agencies to provide assistance to state agencies responsible for broadening voter registration services; call on the Defense Department to work with state election authorities to develop procedures to allow voter registration at Armed Forces Recruitment offices; and encourage federal agencies to make voter registration forms more widely available.

Attending the White House signing ceremony today will be representatives from voter registration groups including the League of Women Voters, Youth Vote '94, MALDEF, Project Vote, Disabled American Veterans and the National Coalition of Black Voter Registration.

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