Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda Appear in New Get Out the Vote Videos
WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw appear in the latest videos for When We All Vote, an initiative co-chaired by the former first lady to increase voter registration and organizing in advance of the midterms.
When We All Vote has scheduled a week of action from Sept. 22-29, and Obama and other co-chairs are planning to attend events that week.
In the videos, Obama and the other entertainment figures share personal stories of voting.
In her video, Obama recounts she went to the polling place with her father, who had multiple sclerosis. On crutches he would make his way down to a church basement and into the booth, “holding himself up, making sure he cast his ballot.”
“I remember my father doing this exercise every single election, and worrying about whether it was raining or snowing or whether he was tired,” she says.
Paul recalls going to a polling place at Louisville Elementary School and casting his ballot for the first time. “I officially felt like an adult. I felt like I could make a difference.”
In his video, Miranda remembers going with his mom to vote and “pulling that knob that casts the vote.” “That was feeling like a part of something, getting to pull that lever,” he says.
“When we vote, we take a stride towards that more perfect union,” Hanks says in his video.
In their video, Hill and McGraw also talk about the importance of voting. “In all honesty, I really didn’t understand the importance of voting until I was far older than 18 years old. I just remember us all going in as a family. The kids were too young to vote, but we all went in just for them to see the fact that we were able to choose who we felt was best for the position.”
When We All Vote, a non-partisan non-profit, is planning events across the country throughout its week of action. The idea has been to increase turnout in the midterms and to emphasize participation in state and local races.
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