Today, When We All Vote launched the Culture of Democracy Tour, a summer of action to register, educate and engage thousands of voters and volunteers. The Culture of Democracy Tour brings voting to popular culture through events, sweepstakes, campaigns, voter registration drives and more in partnership with the organization’s thousands of volunteers and partners.
More than 200 partners have joined When We All Vote’s Culture of Democracy Collective — a network of leading national and community organizations, including sports, corporate and entertainment partners, committed to registering, educating and mobilizing voters. Members include Essence, BET, Lyft, Girls Inc., NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Global Black Economic Forum, Lime, the Divine Nine National Pan-Hellenic Organizations, VoteRiders and the Executive Leadership Council, as well as major sport teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Mystics, New England Revolution, Houston Dynamo and more.
“At a time when fewer young people are identifying with political parties, the work of nonpartisan organizations like When We All Vote has never been more critical,” said Beth Lynk, Executive Director of When We All Vote. “Through the Culture of Democracy Tour this summer, we will bring voting to the culture and meet voters where they are — transforming how they view and participate in democracy and taking this momentum to the biggest stop of all: the ballot box.”
When We All Vote’s Founder and Co-Chair, Michelle Obama, continues to be a trusted voice in the political space. She will use her voice throughout the tour to engage eligible voters.
More than 40 million Gen Z’ers will be eligible to vote in November, and almost half are people of color, including 8.8 million Latinos and 5.7 million Black youth. 71 percent of the people who registered with When We All Vote in 2020 were young people and people of color, with a turnout rate of 83 percent — surpassing the national average by nearly 20 percentage points. With reports of lower voter enthusiasm dominating the narrative, the Culture of Democracy Tour is critical to remind voters of their power and encourage voter participation. Highlights include:
- Events: When We All Vote will join some of the summer’s biggest events and celebrations to register voters, including:
- The Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, PA, on June 1 and 2
- Blavity House Party Music Festival in Nashville, TN, on June 14 and 15
- Essence Festival of Culture and the Global Black Economic Forum’s Summit and Conference in New Orleans, LA, between July 4 and July 7
- National Days of Action and Volunteer Mobilization: Hundreds of volunteers will host voter registration drives and get their communities registered and ready to vote:
- Pride Month voter registration drives throughout June
- Juneteenth Weekend of Action June 19-23
- The Voting Rights Act Anniversary on August 6
- Digital Campaigns: When We All Vote will engage voters around the issues motivating them most through campaigns with partners, such as:
- Digital and in-person activations with sports leagues and athletes
- Digital campaigns around key issues for voters, including reproductive rights, climate change and the state of the economy
- A back-to-school campaign as a part of the My School Votes program for high school students throughout August
- New partnerships with celebrity talent and brands
Culture of Democracy Collective
The more than 200 members of the Culture of Democracy Collective will register voters through their platforms. For example:
- Lyft will offer discounted rides to the polls during primaries, early voting and on Election Day across the country, as well as help riders, drivers and team members register, prepare to vote and understand voting ID requirements
- Lime will share voter registration deadlines and offer free e-bike and e-scooter rides to polling locations on Election Day
- Amalgamated Bank will promote voter registration in branches to help inform their customers and employees about the elections and encourage them to vote
- Essence and the Global Black Economic Forum will register and mobilize voters and protect democracy
- The Executive Leadership Council will convene Black business leaders to mobilize around voter education and registration in both the workplace and in their local communities
- Clare V. will release a VOTE t-shirt in support of When We All Vote
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and other organizations in the Divine Nine will mobilize their membership around Juneteenth to register people to vote
- Drag Out the Vote will encourage the community to register voters for Pride Month
- State Voices will help galvanize their large network to host Parties at the Polls
- Southern Poverty Law Center will register voters through statewide campaigns in Alabama and Mississippi
Earlier this year, When We All Vote laid out its three-pronged strategy for 2024: 1) register at least 500,000 Americans to vote; 2) reach and mobilize 5 million voters to cast their ballots; 3) change the culture around voting with partners and celebrity co-chairs and ambassadors.
