Artists and activists are front and center in a national campaign to promote voter registration.
March for Our Lives, in partnership with We Stand United, has produced a video public service announcement using humor and innuendo to point out the importance of voting.
The “My First Time” PSA — a cheeky clip of famous faces describing their “first time” in the voting booth — features actors Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, Rosario Dawson, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Zoë Kravitz and Mark Ruffalo.
March for Our Lives was started by students from Parkland, Florida, who survived the Feb. 14 shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The organization has grown to be a national initiative to address gun violence.
We Stand United is a collective of award-winning artists, storytellers and advocates whose mission is to draw attention to social, environmental and economic justice issues in the U.S.
“This year’s election will shape our country for years to come, and we want to make sure that all young Americans are ready for their first time in the ballot box,” said David Hogg, co-founder of March for Our Lives. “This election is too important to sit on the sidelines.”
The national campaign targets first-time voters of legal voting age, specifically those in the millennial and Generation Z groups.
“Do it. Join young people everywhere and vote Nov. 6,” Kravitz said. “We have the power. Let’s rise up, register, and VOTE to make our voices heard.”
In the metropolitan Washington area, deadlines for voter registration are Oct. 15 in Virginia and Oct. 16 in Maryland and D.C.