Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, and more than 100 celebrities are sending their social media followers to check their voter registration status.
As part of a partnership between nonpartisan Vote.org and Linktree, celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo, Steph Curry and Kerry Washington are using their Linktree link-in-bio to redirect users to a website that helps them learn about their local voter registration status.
Celebrity initiatives have previously motivated people to register to vote. On National Voter Registration in 2023, Taylor Swift’s post prompted 35,000 voter registrations and, after she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris following last week’s presidential debate with a call to register, more than 405,000 people visited Vote.gov. Mobilization of young voters could be crucial to the outcome of the 2024 election and many young voters spend a lot of time TikTok, a popular platform for Linktree.
According to Linktree, the group participating in the voter registration initiative has more than a billion followers collectively.
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Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.
Kerry Washington, Steph Curry continue their election work after DNC appearance
Curry already endorsed Harris with a virtual appearance at the Democratic National Convention in August. Washington, the actress who starred in the political drama “Scandal,” hosted the final night of the convention.
“I got to visit Kamala (Harris) with my team at the White House last year,” Curry said at the convention. “I can tell you one thing — I knew then and I definitely know now that the Oval Office suits her well. In the words of Michelle Obama, ‘Do something.’ Go vote. Be active. Let’s show out in November like never before.”
Viral gold medalists Tara Davis-Woodhall (Paris Olympics) and her husband Hunter Woodhall (Paris Paralympics), are using their social media following to encourage people to vote.
“Voting is one of the most impactful ways we can make a difference and help shape the future,” the Woodhalls said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. “We are excited to be encouraging first time voters to newly register and for everyone to check their status and participate!”
Other notable celebrities participating in Tuesday’s voter registration campaign include:
Young people could sway the 2024 election, participation rising after race mix-up
In 2020, 48% of eligible voters between 18 to 29 turned out to vote, a jump from 2016, when only about 40% of young people voted. Experts have said young voters are likely to sway this election, which spelled trouble for President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the rematch against Donald Trump as some were describing them as “double-haters.”
But in the days after Biden dropped out, Vote.org saw jumps in registration among those younger than 35. The partnership with Linktree aims to keep it up.
“Younger voters have historically been harder to reach and activate during the election cycle,” said Linktree executive Lara Cohen. “There’s an authenticity that comes from being encouraged to register to vote by your favorite creator. The same favorites who influence you to buy your favorite new Zara sweater for fall, or watch their new series on Netflix, giving up the space usually dedicated to their interests in the hopes of strengthening democracy is pretty incredible.”
Voters can check their registration at Vote.org.
Contributing: Karen Weintraub, Trevor Hughes.
