by Mitti Hicks

October 11, 2024

People should expect a celebration with music, food, entertainment, and activities for all ages, as volunteers aim to make voting accessible, inclusive, and fun.

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Michelle Obama’s national nonpartisan voting initiative, When We All Vote, has relaunched “Party at the Polls” for the general election. Party at the Polls turns the voting experience into a community celebration to increase voter turnout, while reinforcing the importance of voting.

For 2024, Party at the Polls will be bigger than before, as there will be more than 500 early voting events nationwide throughout October and into the first week of November.

“At When We All Vote, we believe that voting should be joyful and using our voices at the polls is truly something to celebrate,” said Beth Lynk, Executive Director of When We All Vote. “The election doesn’t start on Election Day — it ends on Election Day. Through our Party at the Polls program, we encourage and celebrate early voting.”

People should expect a celebration with music, food, entertainment, and activities for all ages, as volunteers aim to make voting accessible, inclusive, and fun.

Organizers say the event has proven effective in encouraging people to attend the polls, especially among young voters and voters of color.

In 2020, research found that the Party at the Polls program increased voter participation by up to 4 percentage points. Early voting events proved the most effective, as data also found that community events boosted turnout by approximately 3.5%, or 90 votes, per precinct.

While there are hundreds of community and volunteer-led events, flagship Party at the Polls events appear to be in crucial swing states.

Party At The Polls Flagship Events

Celebrate Philadelphia Block Parties in Philadelphia: In partnership with Welcome America, When We All Vote will host a two-part block party series at two of the City of Philadelphia’s satellite election offices on October 12 and 19. The series will feature performances, engaging conversations, sponsor activations, community tabling, giveaways, and more. 

Walk to the Polls in Window Rock, AZ: When We All Vote and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios will join Protect the Sacred and Mark Ruffalo for a Walk to the Polls with Diné College in Navajo Nation on October 12. 

Community College Vote ‘24 Events in Pittsburgh, PA, Philadelphia, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, and Milwaukee, WI: When We All Vote and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios will celebrate community college students making their voices heard this year with on-campus parties at Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, PA, on October 21, Community College of Philadelphia, Grand Rapids Community College on October 29 for Vote Early Day, and Milwaukee Area Technical College with the Milwaukee Bucks on October 31.

VotaPalooza in Phoenix, AZ, and Atlanta, GA: When We All Vote and Grita Canta Vota will host Get Out The Vote Music Festivals to celebrate Latino voters through music, dance, culture, and community in Phoenix, AZ, on October 17 and Atlanta, GA, on October 20. 

Drag Out the Vote Drag Show in Phoenix, AZ, and Divas for Democracy Dance Party at the Polls in Las Vegas, NV: When We All Vote and Drag Out the Vote will present a Get Out The Vote drag show in Phoenix on October 18 with Barbra Seville and Drag Out The Vote Drag Ambassador Afrika America, and a drag show and dance party with Drag Ambassadors and local drag artists, including Drag Ambassador Plasma from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16, in Las Vegas on October 29.

ONE Musicfest in Atlanta, GA: When We All Vote and Live Nation Urban will bring voters together at ONE Musicfest on October 26-27 in Central Park, featuring headliners Cardi B, Gunna, Jill Scott, Victoria Monét, and Earth, Wind & Fire, and performances by Dru Hill, Fridayy, Destin Conrad, Fantasia, Jeremih, Sexyy Red, GloRilla, Nelly, BigXthaPlug, Young Nudy, T.I., BossMan Dlow, Method Man & Redman, and more. When We All Vote is also running a sweepstakes for voters to enter to win GA+ tickets, travel, and hotel accomodations for taking action. 

For a complete list of events, visit When We All Vote’s Party at the Polls tab on its website.

RELATED CONTENT: Michelle Obama Surprises D.C. High Schoolers For College Signing Day

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