Universal Music Group (UMG) today announced a voter engagement initiative for the November 2022 U.S. elections spearheaded by its Universal Music All Together Now Foundation and its Task Force for Meaningful Change. The initiative features new and updated installments of the “Use Your Voice” voter registration and education program, as well as the “Pull Up to the Polls” voter transportation components. “Pull Up to the Polls” was devised, and is operated, by UMG’s Task Force for Meaningful Change.
In addition, UMG announced that its U.S. offices will be closed on Election Days moving forward to facilitate employees’ voter participation and Election Day Volunteer activities.
In making this announcement, Susan Mazo, UMG’s EVP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Events and Special Projects said, “Universal Music Group, through its Task Force for Meaningful Change and the Universal Music All Together Now Foundation, works towards meaningful positive change by partnering with organizations and tapping our passionate network of artists and music lovers to join together for a common cause. We are proud to work with our partners both internally and externally to ensure all eligible voters have the resources they need to cast an informed vote.”
“Voting is an essential component to promote a free and fair democracy that gives every individual the right to address their policy interests and concerns, particularly for marginalized communities disproportionately challenged with the opportunity to vote,” said Dr. Menna Demessie, SVP and Executive Director of the Task Force for Meaningful Change. “It’s vital that we provide solutions for any barrier that prevents someone from voting, particularly transportation, which is also a logistical hurdle for many working-class voters. We’re grateful to our partners for providing rides to the polls to ensure everyone gets to vote.”
“HeadCount is so grateful to UMG for their continued support alongside some of the world’s biggest artists. Encouraging young people to use their voice is imperative to our democracy and can make a true difference in this critical midterm election year,” Lisa DeLuca, Sr. Director of Artist Relations.
USE YOUR VOICE
A campaign spanning UMG’s U.S. businesses aimed at supporting voters across the country, this year the “Use Your Voice” campaign built purposeful partnerships and activations with organizations working to prepare voters to cast their ballots, including:
Content Series and Voter Information Hub. UMG produced the “Use Your Voice and Vote About It” content series with nonpartisan voter organization HeadCount which discusses the issues that voters may see on their local ballots and highlights why it’s important, particularly for young voters, to vote in the midterm elections. Covering issues such as abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, policing and the environment, the series features UMG artists such as Kiana Ledé and producer Benny Blanco. The series drives fans and followers to the Use Your Voice And Vote About It Voter hub that provides information, resources, and digital tools to help everyone vote.
Student Voter Mobilization Efforts. UMG’s creative solutions team, °1824, is supporting student mobilization efforts, including campus voter registration training for college representatives, led by HeadCount. °1824 also engaged its influencer marketing team to create social media content encouraging people to register to vote on National Voter Registration Day. This week they joined HeadCount and their partner Liquid Death on the University of Georgia campus to hand out water, encourage students to make a voting plan and teach students about voting rights in Georgia.
LGBTQ+ Voter Education. UMG is working with GLAAD to activate on Spirit Day (October 20) to support LGBTQ+ youth and raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. This program is an extension of UMG’s longstanding partnership with GLAAD.
Mental Health and Elections. The Universal Music All Together Now Foundation is working with the Mental Health Coalition and Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) to launch a content series focused on how to manage mental health in the wake of election stress. The Foundation also extended its partnership with The Mental Health Coalition to provide direct mental health support to community organizers and mobilizers working with HeadCount this election.
Election Protection. The Universal Music All Together Now Foundation is supporting Election Protection, a non-partisan organization that works to protect everyone’s right to vote and runs a free voter hotline to help eligible voters cast their ballot. The Foundation’s support helped Election Protection get 1,000 volunteers ready to monitor the polls this midterm season.
PULL UP TO THE POLLS
Created in 2020 by UMG’s Task Force for Meaningful Change, Pull Up to the Polls is a partner-centered voter engagement campaign aimed at supporting marginalized voters around the country through voter education and resources that help get eligible voters to the polls.
This year Pull Up to the Polls has partnered with Voto Latino, NAACP and YMCA.
Voto Latino: Launched on National Voter Registration Day, Pull Up to the Polls partnered with Voto Latino to register 9,000 eligible voters by election day.
NAACP and YMCA: Partnered with Pull Up to the Polls to make over 3,500 roundtrip rides to the polls available to voters across the country between early voting in October and election day.
