Leaders seek sports stars to get out the vote in swing states

Democracy Cup seeks to get out the vote in key areas

What you probably already know: As the presidential election season heats up, many are already watching swing states, where billions will be spent to sway a small number of voters. Axios analyzed the data and found that only 6% of voters in six states will decide the election. The picture was similar in 2020 and it became a rallying cry for a group of women in Seattle who wanted to make sure people of color were represented at the polls.

Why? “In the elections, communities of color continue to underindex,” said Betti Fujikado, a co-founder of the Democracy Cup. The group works with sports teams to engage players to get out the vote. In 2020, the group had representatives from Seattle’s top professional sports teams, from the Seahawks to the Storm to the Kraken, who recorded personal messages that were then disseminated by organizations that work with underrepresented groups. More than 25 organizations participated.

What it means: This year, the group is focusing on reaching voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. “We need the professional teams to lean in and participate,” Fujikado, who spent her career leading an advertising agency, said. The messages are carefully crafted to be non-partisan: Players simply encourage people to vote and never weigh in on how they’ll be voting. “We had to be very careful to get that right,” Fujikado added. “We needed the pro sports teams to feel comfortable participating.”

What happens now? The group, which includes documentary filmmaker Mimi Gan, and top women executives from the Seattle Kraken, Sounders and Mariners, are working to get buy-in from professional teams in key areas like Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus. They’ve already recorded content with retired WNBA star Sue Bird, NWSL star Megan Rapinoe, as well as rookie NFL quarterback Michael Penix. They also need help connecting with organizations that work with underrepresented groups in those cities who would be interested in sharing the content. To connect with them, reach out here.