Politics and Current
Michelle Obama will headline a rally in Atlanta aimed at increasing voter turnout
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama will headline a rally in Atlanta the week before the Nov. 5 election alongside celebrities and civic leaders, specializing in engaging younger and first-time voters in addition to voters of color.
The Oct. 29 event will be hosted by When We All Vote, a nonpartisan civic engagement group that Obama founded in 2018 to “change the culture around voting” and reach people who find themselves less likely to interact in politics and elections.
The rally will likely help the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, in the closely contested state. Obama is one among the party’s most outstanding figures and gave a speech endorsing Harris’ candidacy at the national convention in August.
It’s unclear which celebrities will attend the rally, but organizers noted that the group’s co-chairs are skilled basketball players Stephen Curry and Chris Paul; musical artists Becky G, HER, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez and Janelle Monáe; beauty influencer Bretman Rock; and actors Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kerry Washington.
The group has hosted greater than 500 “Party at the Polls” events across the country aimed at increasing voter registration and turnout. These ranged from block parties in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Philadelphia to voter registration partnerships with skilled sports leagues and music festivals that took place last yr.
“The goal is to carry the energy and momentum of the rally to the ballot box,” said Beth Lynk, executive director of When We All Vote. “We want to combine culture, energy and dynamics in one large space.”
Lynk said the group selected Atlanta due to state’s diversity and the impact that just a handful of voters can have in Georgia. About one-third of Georgia’s electorate is black, together with rapidly growing Asian-American and Latino communities. The We All Vote program focuses on engaging students on campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Lynk said.
“We heard from young voters that many people do not believe that their votes have power. But it is what it is, plain and simple,” Lynk said. “We know that democracy must serve us all, and that is what we will emphasize at this rally.”
The rally will happen just before early voting ends in Georgia on November 1, lower than a week before Election Day.