Vote.org Launches $10 Million “Vote Ready” Midterms Campaign to Register and Turn Out Young Voters

WASHINGTON –Today, Vote.org, the leading nonpartisan online voter registration and engagement organization, launched its Vote Ready midterms campaign, investing at least $10 million to reach more than 4 million young voters and register more than 1 million new voters by November 8, 2022.

Vote Ready will reach voters age 18-30, with a focus on young voters of color who face disproportionate hurdles in making their voices heard at the ballot box. Vote Ready will engage more than 4 million young voters through social media, website resources, and the use of Vote.org’s voting tools, which include voter registration, registration verification, absentee ballot requests, election reminders and up-to-date information about navigating election laws in each state. This new campaign will help achieve Vote.org’s goal announced earlier this year in partnership with When We All Vote: to expand the electorate through registering 1 million new voters ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VOTE READY HERE

In 2020, youth turnout was 11 points higher than the previous presidential election, and 47 percentof Vote.org’s site engagement came from voters aged 18-34. The “Gen Z” umbrella now comprises nearly 40 million people, making it the third-largest generation alive, and about 17 million young people have turned, or are turning, 18 between the 2020 election and the 2022 midterms.

“Younger voters have the power to shape their future, but successfully navigating elections can be a barrier to making their voices heard. Vote Ready aims to make voting more accessible, more seamless, and more empowering for younger voters and voters of color. From now until Election Day, we are laser-focused on educating and activating these voters through our technology, our partners, and reaching them through the platforms and people they trust,” said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey. "The first two times someone votes are the most important elections to ensure that voting becomes a lifelong practice. By making voting easier – and in turn, getting more people to vote – we create a stronger, more representative democracy. Fundamentally, that must start with educating young people on the power of having their voices heard and represented, making clear the cause and effect of being civically engaged on a national level and in their communities.”

“The CW is proud to partner once again with Vote.org to help ensure all eligible voters are ready to participate in the 2022 midterm elections,” said Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The CW. "With the reach and the connection The CW has with our passionate, engaged audience across all of our platforms, from linear to digital to social, we consider it both an honor and a privilege to help raise awareness and educate our fans on such a vital issue such as being prepared to vote. We will be working with Vote.org to create and share new content with our audience so they can make their voices heard, this election cycle and beyond.”

"Athletes Unlimited empowers our athletes to use our voices in so many ways and our partnership with Vote.org – including the Power in My Voice Campaign and now, Vote Ready – is really an embodiment of that and an invitation to others to use their voices as well,”said Cassidy Lichtman, professional volleyball player and Director of Volleyball for Athletes Unlimited. “Each of us has a unique perspective to offer this world and there is power in expressing that through your words, your actions, and particularly through your vote and other forms of civic engagement.”

"The disenfranchisement that many of us feel is by design – there are some who do not want us to vote. That very fact should be clear evidence as to how powerful your voice really is,” said Jack Knoxville, (He/They) Founder & Executive Director of the Trans Empowerment Project.In order for democracy to truly thrive, all voices need to be heard – especially those belonging to Disabled Queer Trans and Intersex People of Color (QTIPOC) who are often the most impacted and least represented by decisions made by our leaders. We're excited to join the Vote Ready campaign to empower and encourage our community to reclaim their power by using their ballots to make noise and be seen at the polls!

Through a network of new and existing partners, organizations, businesses, and influencers, including theNAACP, Taylor Swift, the NBA, Sony Music Group, Meta, The CW, OkCupid, Voto Latino, The Bachelorette’s Rachel Lindsay and so many more, Vote.org will meet young voters where they are and provide the voter resource tools to ensure they are Vote Ready come Election Day.

Across the nine-week campaign, Vote.org and its partners will engage in a growing number of voter activation events and public pushes, including:

• HBCU campus registration day;
• Participating in Employee Paid Time-Off to Vote Week (and relaunching Vote.org’s ElectionDay.org program);
• A civic design competition for young artists (through Vote.org’s Plan Your Vote initiative);
• National Voter Registration Day Press Call;
• Support of Black Voters Matter’s Southern State Bus Tour;
• Instagram Lives and Twitter Spaces w/ CEOs, Influencers, Leading Voter Advocates;
• Partnering with businesses and organizations for a tech-focused week, leveraging online platforms to make voting simple;
• Active voter education and outreach on social media, through the press, with ads and through the Vote Ready campaign website.

The campaign will place a focus on key states Vote.org has identified as pivotal to increasing youth turnout, includingArizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

During the 2020 election cycle, Vote.org ran the largest voter mobilization program, reaching voters more than 650 million times. Over 39.4 million people found deadlines, polling locations, and other essential voting information for each state through Vote.org, leading to more than 4.2 million people registering to vote, helping over3.4 million request absentee ballots.