Rock the vote — with your bestie! MTV has enlisted the help of celebrities including Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Frankie Grande to encourage people to make their mark on the voting booths this November by bringing their friends along to do the same.
The campaign, called “+1 the Vote,” dropped Tuesday, September 25, which also happens to be National Voter Registration Day. According to a press release, MTV hopes to “harness the power of friendship and ignite the most powerful voting bloc in the country” among young voters after a research study showed that “76% of young people think inviting friends to the polling station is an effective way to encourage others to vote.” Research also suggests “that social influence is a strong motivator in voter turnout.”
In one PSA, the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star explains the importance of voting to viewers: “Everyone should vote because if you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice.” Grande, meanwhile, reveals he plans to bring sister Ariana Grande and his Nonna along with him to the voting booths. Other stars featured include Ashanti and members of PRETTYMUCH.
MTV has created a Register Tool, which allows people to find pals who are not registered to vote. It allows you to search your contacts via Gmail, iCloud or Yahoo to find friends who aren’t registered. And the best part? You can do it anonymously! It also has the ability to allow people to check on the status of their registration.
MTV News will be releasing more star-studded PSAs up until the midterm elections on November 6. Following the closing of the polls, MTV will host a concert to celebrate young people making an impact with their vote.
This isn’t the first time the music network has used its platform to empower viewers. In 1990, MTV partnered up with Rock the Vote to engage young voters across the country to play a part in the election. In 1999, Rock the Vote created the first ever online voter registration tool — and since then, it has registered more than 6 million voters online.
