The Power of Collective Action: How 500+ Partners Are Strengthening Democracy

By Amanda Hollowell, Managing Director, National Organizing

At When We All Vote, we believe that our democracy is strongest when everyone has a voice. That belief fuels our work to educate, register, and turn out the most diverse and representative electorate in history. But we know we can’t do this work alone. That’s why, in 2024, we launched the Culture of Democracy Collective — a cross-industry movement uniting more than 500 partners, from corporate, media, and entertainment to sports, grassroots, and community organizations.

Together, we’ve built a nonpartisan coalition that’s redefining civic engagement. Our partners joined forces to reach voters where they are and make sure every American is informed, empowered, and ready to participate in every election.

A Multifaceted, Cross-Industry Movement

The Culture of Democracy Collective is unique in its multifaceted approach to civic engagement across industries and sectors. Each partner brings their strengths, resources, and platforms to mobilize voters in innovative ways. In 2024:

• Corporate leaders integrated voter education into their workplace cultures, providing employees with time off to vote and sharing critical election information with millions of customers. They also worked to remove barriers to voting, including transportation. For example, we partnered with Universal Music Group to provide rideshare codes to help voters Pull Up To The Polls and make their voices heard. In addition, Lyft and Lime provided free and discounted rides for voters to get to and from their polling places.

• Media and entertainment partners used their platforms to amplify voting messages and made civic engagement a part of the culture while registering thousands of new voters. From an Election Season Survival Guide with Headspace to the VOTE LOUD: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge with BET and HBCU Buzz, we collaborated with our media and entertainment partners to create content, events, competitions, resources, and more to reach and mobilize voters.

And as part of the Culture of Democracy Tour, our summer of action to register, educate, and engage thousands of voters and volunteers, When We All Vote was on the ground registering voters at Roots Picnic, Blavity House Party, ESSENCE Fest, CultureCon, and more.

• Sports organizations and athletes shared their voting series and rallied fans, hosting voter registration drives at games and using their influence to encourage participation. At in-person activations during the NBA Summer League, When We All Vote was able to engage young male voters. In addition to making voter registration part of the NBA Summer League, we turned the sold-out Atlanta Dream vs. Chicago Sky WNBA game into a full voter registration push on National Voter Registration Day — including a special video message from Mrs. Obama.

• Community-based organizations were on the ground in neighborhoods nationwide, directly engaging voters and ensuring that historically underrepresented communities had the information and support they needed to cast their ballots. From the Divine Nine to local community churches, these partners know their communities best and continue to increase voter registration and voter turnout. Our National Voter Registration Week of Action in September featured events and voter registration drives hosted by chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated, as well as AME churches and Muslim civic groups, Detroit Disability Power, North Carolina Black Alliance, RISE, local chapters of The Links, Incorporated, Jack and Jill of America, and more.

500+ Partners, One Shared Mission

The impact of the Collective has been immediate. Through our cross-industry collaborations, we’ve reached millions of voters to help them learn what was on their ballots, overcome barriers to participation, and feel empowered to take action. Whether through digital campaigns, in-person activations, or celebrity-driven initiatives, our partners have shown that civic responsibility can — and should — be embedded into every aspect of our society.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

With the support of our partners, we achieved remarkable milestones this election season:

✅ Reached more than 14 million voters, ensuring they had the tools to participate.

✅ Registered or helped more than 300,000 Americans check their voter registration.

✅ Engaged 24,000 high school students through our nonpartisan My School Votes program, fostering a new generation of voters.

✅ Hosted 550 early voting events as part of Party at the Polls, bringing 80,000+ attendees together to celebrate democracy.

Reaching Voters Where They Are

Through a combination of grassroots and in-person efforts, we engaged voters in innovative ways:

🎉 More than 80,000 people attended 550 early voting parties as a part of our Party at the Polls program.

📩 Volunteers sent over 15 million texts to more than 7 million voters, ensuring they had the information they needed.

☎️ Made over 2 million phone calls and mailed materials to nearly 7 million households with critical election details.

🔁 Followed up with 330,000+ voters who had not yet cast their ballots, helping them take that final step.

The Road Ahead

With every new election, our mission remains clear: to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to make their voice heard. The success of the Culture of Democracy Collective proves that when industries, communities, and individuals come together, we can create lasting change.