(NEW YORK, NY) -- Play For The Vote is launching its 2024 campaign, seeking to enlist over 5,000 musicians across the country to perform on Election Day 2024. At polling sites throughout the country, musicians are being sought to perform outside, with the goal of increasing voter turnout by providing a more positive voting experience.
Play For The Vote began in 2020, during a time of significant political and social challenges. Despite the uncertainty, the organization successfully mobilized 1,500 musicians to perform at 700 polling locations nationwide, creating a welcoming and inspiring atmosphere for voters. The overwhelmingly positive response from both musicians and voters demonstrated the powerful impact that music can have on the democratic process. Looking ahead to future elections, Play For The Vote's goal is to more than double its efforts. The organization is committed to recruiting and organizing 5,000 musicians to perform at 2,200 polling locations across the country.
Musicians interested in participating can sign up via the Play For The Vote website. Upon doing so, they will be asked to claim a polling location and a performance time on Election Day.
Discussing, Play For The Vote Founder & Director Mike Block states, “Play for the Vote stems from the idea that voting could be a way for communities to come together through the power of music, as opposed to being a divisive process.”
Leading up to the start of Early Voting and Election Day, Play For The Vote will be hosting a fundraiser in Portland, OR, on September 24 at the home of renowned cellist, Nancy Ives. This is the fourth fundraising event of the year for the organization. Monies raised at these events will go toward funding Play For The Vote's mission to amplify voter turnout with the power of music, ensuring that each musician has everything they need to successfully perform at polling locations across the country.
Play for the Vote is a nonpartisan initiative, welcoming musicians from all genres and walks of life. They do not endorse any specific candidates or issues; instead, they focus on fostering a spirit of community and civic responsibility. By bringing music to the polls, they aim to elevate the voting experience and inspire greater participation in our democracy.
Play for the Vote is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying voter turnout and civic engagement through the transformative power of live music. They believe that music has a unique ability to bring people together, create shared experiences, and remind us of our collective purpose as citizens in a democracy.
