26 September 2016, 23:56 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Opinion polls continue to show both Trump and Clinton with the highest levels of personal unfavorable perceptions among voters of any two major candidates in modern times.
"Unfortunately, among those who are eligible to vote, too many choose not to," Obama said in the proclamation on Monday. "Far too many people disenfranchise themselves by not getting involved."
Obama issued his proclamation to commemorate National Voter Registration Day only hours before Trump and Clinton, the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, were due to hold their first nationally televised debate at Hofstra University on Long Island.
"It is easy to feel frustrated when the pace of change is slow," Obama acknowledged in the proclamation.
