On Election Day, more than 300 entertainers will partner with HeadCount.org in a massive get-out-the-vote push, posting photos of themselves to social media urging their fans to “#GoVote.”
The campaign specifically aims to combat the trend of “drop-off” voters, where half of young voters only cast ballots in Presidential races and then skip the Midterm Elections.
A diverse group of musicians, comics and actors - including Stephen Colbert, Dave Matthews, Linkin Park, Sarah Silverman, Fergie, George Lopez, Jason Mraz, T.I., Lewis Black, Chaka Khan, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Ms. Lauryn Hill, all the living members of The Grateful Dead, Andy Richter and Conan O’Brien - have taken photos while holding artwork that says “#GoVote.”
Each will Tweet and post their photos on Tuesday, saturating social media with a get-out-the-vote message.
The 303 entertainers involved average over one million social media followers each across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, totaling more than 350 million. The number of participants and their popularity makes #GoVote one of the largest Election Day social media efforts ever.
Each post on Twitter, Facebook, Instragram and Tumblr will include a link to http://www.headcount.org/govote/, where voters can find the most comprehensive election information hub on the internet - including a polling place finder, ID requirements, and what’s on each ballot.
“The incumbent Congress is the least popular in history, so we can't leave it to the candidates alone to inspire people,” said Marc Brownstein, HeadCount’s co-founder and bass player in The Disco Biscuits. “We're trying to get the message across that being dissatisfied is a bad reason not to vote – it's the exact reason why participation is so important."
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The campaign is part of a broader #GoVote effort that includes multiple organizations and hundreds of works by visual artists, featured on the partner website www.govote.org. HeadCount curated art from several top rock poster artists for the musicians and entertainers to pose with.
Some of the more compelling photos include: Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, appearing with comic Nick Offerman and Tweedy’s son Spencer (who just turned 18 and is eligible to vote for the first time); Jack Johnson standing in front of an ocean, holding artwork that says “#GoVote - Eat Local. Shop Local. Vote Local,” and media mogul Russell Simmons, with art from tattoo artist Luke Wessman.
This campaign follows HeadCount’s highly successful social media push on National Voter Registration Day in September, involving many of the same entertainers. Through that effort and by setting up voter registration drives at 705 live music events, HeadCount registered more than 25,000 voters for this election.
HeadCount.org is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. For more information, please check out headcount.org.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
