Ariana Grande Works With HeadCount to Register Young Voters

Ariana Grande and HeadCount have partnered to launch an exclusive sweepstakes to register young voters through the organization’s Good to Vote initiative. 

Fans can enter the sweepstakes through HeadCount’s website. The contest offers a grand prize of flying two fans to the U.S. premiere of Wicked, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, and a full glam beauty experience with r.e.m. beauty products. 

The contest began on August 16 at 9 a.m. EST and ends on October 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Each person is limited to three entries.

Posted on HeadCount’s official Instagram and Ariana Grande’s recent Instagram Stories, Ariana Grande asked fans if they’re “good to vote” by checking their voter registration to enter. 

According the to HeadCount website, the non-partisan organization aims to stage voter registration at more than 1,000 live events each year and collaborate with cultural leaders to promote civic engagement on a national scale.

Since 2004, HeadCount has signed up 1,000,000 voters with the Good to Vote initiative by offering fans once-in-a-lifetime prizes with their favorite talent and brands, steering users through an easy and effective voter registration process, and well as making the election fatigue fun.

HeadCount has worked with musicians such as Dead and Company, Beyonce, and music events like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals, and RuPaul’s DragCon. HeadCount digital campaigns have also won prestigious awards such as the Clio and SHORTY awards, and their public service announcements have had special appearances from Jay-Z, Dave Matthews, and members of the Grateful Dead. 

Likewise, HeadCount is not the only platform that has encouraged people to vote. When We All Vote – the organization created by Michelle Obama, and the mental health platform Headspace – partnered “to help voters manage their mental health throughout the 2024 election season. 

“People need mental health support during this time of uncertainty now more than ever,” When We All Vote said in a statement. “An election season survival guide” that features free audio and video mindfulness exercises, and an election stress assessment. The partnership includes a voter registration portal.

Also, Headspace will have a section in the app named, “Politics Without Panic” that will include meditations “intended to help voters leverage stress-relieving tools needed to stay calm and focused.”

The American Psychiatric Association found that 73%t of Americans are “particularly anxious” about the election.

According to a Harvard Study, celebrities influence elections. The study showed that celebrity promotion translates to higher voter registration rates and poll worker sign-ups. Overall, of the young voters registered digitally through HeadCount in 2020, 78% went on to vote at the polls. 

Moreover, according to the research by Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, there is “rigorous evidence that [celebrity] voices are incredibly powerful” in promoting civic engagement and altering polling numbers. 

“Right now, young voters have relatively low levels of trust in a lot of leaders and institutions, including traditional news media — but celebrities are often a rare exception,” Ashley Spillane, the study’s author and a civic engagement and political expert, said to ABC News.

The next presidential election will be on November 5, 2024. But federal, state, and local elections can vary. Depending on where one lives, the state’s laws that one resides in will determine whether you will show an ID and if so, what kind.  The state may require one to show a photo ID like a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Or they may ask to see another form of identification like a voter registration card, birth certificate, or Social Security card.

First-time voters must show identification when they vote on Election Day if:

• They did not register in person, and
• They did not show ID when they registered

Acceptable forms of ID you can show when you vote include:

• Current and valid photo identification
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• A government-issued document that shows your name and address

However, it is equally as important to fully do research on any candidate just as it is important to go out and vote.