Yesterday, on National Voter Registration Day, ten student athletes from six states, eight colleges, and seven sports used their platforms to encourage youth to register to vote and to make their voices heard. In a 30-60 second PSA, each athlete explained why she or he is voting and encouraged their followers to useVote Save America’s ballot ready tool to learn about how to register and where to vote.
Vote Save America is a civic initiative that provides tools for voter registration, ballot information, and election resources. Over the last six years, VSA has raised more than $55M for progressive causes and candidates, recruited more than 30,000 poll workers, and supported nearly 1M people to research their ballots or check their registration. This Voter Registration Campaign is part of a larger partnership with The Ascendant Athlete to use Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnerships to support progressive candidates up and down the ballot. The Ascendant Athlete is an independent advisory group committed to supporting athletes, teams, and leagues to have a sustainable social impact.
Over the campaign’s initial 24-hour period, the ten student athlete PSAs were viewed more than 40,000 times on Instagram. The larger campaign, which included President Obama and Beyoncé, led 50,000 individuals to visit the VSA site and use its ballot ready tool.
The ten student-athletes represent the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The group comes from a diverse range of backgrounds, but they echoed a common appreciation for the need for young people to vote.
In their PSAs, three student athletes explained that gun violence is motivating them to vote. Terian Williams, a Bucknell football player, highlighted that gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens, claiming the lives of more than 4,000 youth each year. Mariah McCord, an Appalachian State track & field athlete, spoke to the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black and Brown communities. Devyn Robinson, a volleyball player at Wisconsin, emphasized that “we want laws that protect us from dangerous people getting their hands on firearms.”
Four other student athletes recorded videos citing other specific reasons why young people should register and vote. Olivia Vance, a former volleyball player at Temple University, raised awareness about accessing healthy food. Kieley Gayle, a track & field athlete from University of Georgia, spoke on the election’s influence over the Supreme Court and its lasting impact on civil rights. Chase Saldate, a wrestler at University of Michigan, voiced concerns over rising student debt, stressing that “our generation deserves more than just getting by.” Addie Gallun, a gymnast at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, shared her commitment to equal rights, urging her peers to help bridge inequalities across sectors.
Three other athletes focused their messages on how to meet state-specific guidelines. Kate Song, a golfer at University of Georgia, shared a step-by-step guide for checking voter registration. Marlee Smith, a former wrestler at Arizona State, walked her followers through the registration process and using the Vote Save America tool, and Arizona State basketball player Adam Miller reminded his peers that, “you can’t vote and be heard if you’re not registered.”
Ben Orbach, CEO of The Ascendant Athlete explained, “This is such an important partnership. It is critical that we increase the number of young people in swing states who vote in November. Monumental decisions will be made about our future in the next four years, from reproductive rights to protecting the environment to addressing the housing crisis. 18-to-24-year-olds should have a say in these decisions — they’ll be feeling the impact the rest of their lives. We think that through NIL deals with student-athletes, we can help to get out the vote and make a difference.”