On October 8th, seven collegiate athletes from battleground states joined Vote Save America’s campaign to engage youth voters and to increase voter turnout in support of progressive causes. Each athlete posted a 30-60 second PSA that encouraged their followers to use Vote Save America’s ballot ready tool to learn how to register to vote, find their polling place, and learn about their respective candidates’ positions on key issues.
Within the first 24 hours, the seven athletes’ PSAs were viewed on Instagram nearly 50,000 times! Overall, 112,357 individuals visited the VSA site yesterday to use the ballot ready tool.
These seven PSAs are part of a larger VSA partnership with The Ascendant Athlete to use Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals to support raising awareness for progressive policy positions and candidates up and down the ballot. The campaign launched on September 17, National Voter Registration Day, when ten student athletes from six swing states posted PSAs that were part of driving 50,000 individuals to the VSA site. VSA released its complete ballot ready tool yesterday to help voters build their ballots to reflect the issues most important to them, like climate change, gun violence prevention, and reproductive rights.
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. The Ascendant Athlete is an independent advisory group that supports athletes, teams, and leagues to have a sustainable social impact.
With each PSA posted yesterday, student-athletes spoke not only to the importance of youth participation in this upcoming election, but explained how to use the ballot ready tool. Gavin Smith, a rugby player at Belmont Abbey College, stressed that “this election is vital because we are voting on issues that reflect our values.” University of Wisconsin wrestler, Nicolar Rivera added, “Filling out your ballot means protecting your freedom.”
In Arizona, where young voters could swing the outcome, Arizona basketball player Paulina Paris, emphasized, “it’s crucial that we vote in a way that reflects who we are.” In 2020, Arizona was decided by 10,457 votes and saw an 18 point youth turnout increase from 2016.
Other student athletes explained how the VSA ballot ready tool can simplify a process that can feel daunting. Former Georgia softball player, Jaiden Fields, encouraged her peers to use Vote Save America’s tool to clear up registration confusion, and Nneka Obiazor, a former basketball player at UNLV, echoed this sentiment, stating, “voting can be overwhelming, but Vote Save America simplifies the process.
Delanie Harkness, a Michigan State gymnast, stressed the importance of informed voting, noting, “with VSA’s ballot tool, we know where to vote and what’s at stake.” Jashon Hubbard, a former wrestler at Ohio State, offered a final call to action, saying, “it’s our chance to make our voices heard and protect our freedoms at state and local levels.”
Ben Orbach, the CEO of The Ascendant Athlete explained the importance of the VSA ballot ready tool and the value of this campaign. He said, “There was an 11-point increase in youth voter turnout in 2020 compared to the 2016 elections. Given the slim margin of victory in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin, the youth vote can absolutely make the difference in who is elected and what kind of laws and rights we will have in the future. This project supports civically conscious student-athletes to make it easier for new, young voters to not just vote, but to vote for the candidates who reflect their priorities and values.”