When We All Vote, the non-profit, non-partisan voting initiative started by Michelle Obama, is gearing up for its National Week of Action in a major way: by helping you get registered to vote.
The week kicks off in earnest on Saturday, with the only first lady we acknowledge headlining an event Sunday in Las Vegas. But as Obama mentioned in a new PSA for the campaign (for which The Root is a media partner), regardless of whether you can hit up one of the 2,000 grassroots events scheduled across the country, you can still register to vote.
As part of the campaign, people who text “WeAllVote” to 97779 can initiate their registration process. And if you aren’t registered, but want to vote in this year’s midterm elections, you want to act soon—registration deadlines are coming up in the next couple of weeks.
In the new PSA, Obama lists all the most common reasons why people don’t vote, before supplying her answer on why they should.
“The truth is, when we stay home, things stay the same or they get worse,” Obama says.
“When we all vote, we get new ideas and new energy,” she says. “We get leaders who share our values and listen to our voices. That’s how we change America.”
In collaboration with When We All Vote, The Root will be hosting an event on Spelman College’s campus in Atlanta, Ga., on Thursday, Sept. 27. While Mrs. Obama unfortunately won’t be there, Janelle Monáe and Angela Rye will.
You can RSVP to The Root’s When We All Vote party here. And if you can’t swing a road trip to Atlanta that day, no worries; you can sign up for other events or create your own registration drive here.
DISCUSSION
Right now for federal and most states the right to vote comes with 3 requirements; U.S. citizen (either by birth or naturalization), meet your state’s residency requirements and 18 year old. (Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election). This is a right where millions of people around the world would love to have.
In the last few years, I come to think that the right to vote should be considered a privilege and we should protect it since a State can take away your right to vote for being a felon, disfranchisement of voters based on race and gerrymandering.
I believe with that right comes the responsibility of being an informed voter and being a consistent voter-vote when there are elections. Being informed means better candidates, issues and concerns that citizens are actually addressed. Being a consistent voter reduces the possibility of being purged of voter rolls. Don’t count on others keep/allow you to participate in government/political matters, it’s your job to make sure you can participate.
Use it or you might end up losing it.