When media mogul and political activist joined Jimmy Kimmel live on stage for a surprise appearance on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the pair implored a 19-year-old Hispanic college student to register to vote, giving an unofficial but major nod to National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 17 and National Black Voter Registration Day on Sept. 20. Winfrey explained on the show how simple it is to register to vote, urging unregistered voters to register at Vote to Live and Vote 411.
The campaign is part of a larger initiative by BET and the National Urban League which focuses on getting Black Americans registered to vote ahead of November.
The undertaking has more than 40 partners, including the NAACP, former first lady Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote organization and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’s Fair Fight Action.
National Black Voter Day is part of BET’s larger nonpartisan #ReclaimYourVote campaign, which was launched earlier this year.
“In the current climate of uncertainty and unrest, it’s important to make a plan for voting – particularly for Black voters. Efforts to suppress the Black vote are coming from all sides, whether it’s restrictive state voting laws or foreign-based misinformation campaigns. National Black Voter Day is an opportunity to rise above the confusion and plot out a clear path to the ballot box,” National Urban League president and CEO Marc H. Morial said in a statement. “Whether by mask, in person, or by mail, it’s important to make a plan now, and execute that plan as early as possible according to the laws in each state. We’re leaving no voter behind in 2020.”
The objective of National Black Voter Day, according to BET, is to provide resources to help get “voters registered, demystify some of the confusing processes, as well as provide guidance on voting rights restoration for eligible voters, and help voters create their voting plan.”
During Hispanic Heritage Month and on the eve of National Black Voter Day, the DNC is expanding its HBCU and HSI campus voter registration campaign with hundreds of “I Will Vote” posters in battleground states to empower students to make their voices heard
The Democratic National Committee on Sept. 17, National Voter Registration Day, expanded its campus voter registration campaign on HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) campuses across battleground states to reach college students in these critical states and empower them with the information they need to register to vote ahead of Election Day.
In addition to campus kiosk ads, students will see hundreds of “I Will Vote” posters across campuses in Georgia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania laying out the stakes of this election for young voters and the threat Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda represents to students’ futures – from banning abortion and using the government to monitor women’s pregnancies, to rolling back student loan debt forgiveness, to even slashing public education funding, including support for colleges and universities. The on-campus ads direct students to IWillVote.com to encourage them to check their voter registration status, register to vote, and access information on when, where, and how to vote.
“Young voters are critical to the coalition that Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are building ahead of November’s election,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “The DNC is taking every opportunity to reach students where they are and make sure they have all of the tools they need to vote this November on the issues that matter most to them. Young voters’ futures and freedoms are on the line as Donald Trump and JD Vance’s extreme Project 2025 agenda threatens to undermine reproductive rights, rig the economy for the ultra-wealthy, and slash public education funding, including support for colleges and universities. This campaign is the latest investment to bring young voters the information they need to cast their votes by calling, texting, or visiting I Will Vote online.”
Earlier this week, the DNC announced a new “I Will Vote” text-line, providing young voters with an easy way to access voter information at their fingertips by texting VOTE to 70888 for English or VOTO to 70888 in Spanish. I Will Vote is also available online at IWillVote.com and VoyAVotar.com and through a phone hotline at 1-833-DEM-VOTE (1-833-336-8683). Whether students prefer to visit online, call, or text, the Democratic Party is ensuring that voter information is at their fingertips ahead of this critical election season, including how to register to vote and access important, state-specific voting information – from voting deadlines to polling and ballot drop off locations.