UMG Mobilizes Its ‘Use Your Voice’ Voter Education Campaign
Written by djfrosty on September 10, 2024
Universal Music Group is revving up its Use Your Voice voter education campaign to mobilize eligible voters ahead of election day on Nov. 5. This year’s efforts range from a digital content series outlining important issues, an outreach program targeting HBCU’s and a get-out-the-vote initiative aimed at driving voting registration — and then ensuring people can get to the polls.
Use Your Voice, which launched its first campaign in 2020, is supported by three UMG entities: All Together Now Foundation, the Task Force for Meaningful Change and °1824, the company’s creative marketing division. For this election season, UYV will provide information and resources to help power the work of partners including the ACLU, BallotReady, HeadCount, the NAACP, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, the National Council for Negro Women (NCNW), the Voto Latino Foundation, When We All Vote and Xceleader.
Susan Mazo, evp and chief impact officer of UMG, said that “since we started the program in 2020, it has helped tens of thousands of voters get to the polls and vote with confidence. This year, it will do so again through the work of our colleagues, our passionate artists, songwriters and labels, and our incredible voter resource partner organizations.”
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One such partner, HeadCount, will work alongside UMG for Use Your Voice and Vote About It, a short-form digital content series taking a much-need look at issues that voters may see on their local ballots. The initiative includes a voter hub with information, resources and digital tools, plus there’s a corresponding tote bag sold by Social Goods benefiting HeadCount. UMG is also supporting HeadCount’s Vote HBCU ‘Say It Louder’ Tour of 10 campuses with the goal of registering more than 10,000 students to vote. The program, built in partnership with Xceleader, and will collaborate with UMG to amplify messaging around National Voter Registration Day, coming up on Sept 17.
This year, HeadCount has also partnered with artists from UMG’s labels including AJR, Ariana Grande, Barenaked Ladies, Billie Eilish, Clairo, Chappell Roan, Chelsea Cutler, Em Beihold, Glass Animals, Gracie Abrams, Hootie & the Blowfish, Maggie Rogers, Mt. Joy, Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo, Rapsody and Remi Wolf, among others.
“As we head into this pivotal election, our partnership with Universal Music Group through the ‘Use Your Voice’ campaign is about more than just registering voters,” said HeadCount executive director Lucille Wenegieme. “Together, we’re making sure that every voice is not just heard, but impossible to ignore. At HeadCount, we partner with organizations that see the value of a multi-pronged approach to civic engagement to ensure we are reaching as many voters as possible – this is no different. We are so grateful for UMG’s strategic support during this election cycle. Together, we’re inspiring a new generation to actively participate in shaping their future.”
Additionally, UMG’s °1824 is producing a digital content series called By the Numbers targeting young people and possible first-time voters to check their registration status and inform them on their potential impact on election results. BallotReady and UYV are also jamming on a series of co-branded assets urging users to make a fully-informed voting plan.
UMG’s Task Force for Meaningful Change unveiled its Pull Up to the Polls initiative providing resources including a plan to provide 15,000 ride share codes to voters through NAACP, NCNW and When We All Vote. TFMC is also working with Voto Latino Foundation with the goal of registering over 7,200 eligible voters, and will work with Black Voters Matter, the National Coalition of Black Civic Engagement/Black Women’s Roundtable and others to mobilize and educate voters ahead of Nov. 5.
“The NAACP is proud to work with UMG in ensuring that democracy works, for everybody. Black voices matter, and we know that when our communities Pull up to the Polls, we’re heard,” said Dominik Whitehead, NAACP svp of campaigns and mobilization. “That’s why partnerships like these are so important in bringing the resources and tools necessary to ensure that every vote is counted, and every voice is heard. Let’s make this an election to remember!”