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When she isn’t working her day job in the business of music shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/navigating-the-music-business-with-emily-white, Emily White is organizing behind the scenes to get voters, especially music-loving voters, to the polls.
White, who grew up in Hartland, learned that elections in Wisconsin and elsewhere can be decided by a margin that is the same as the capacity of a music venue. She’d found that voter turnout was down in Milwaukee, so in 2018 she helped launch #iVoted.
The BIPOC team worked during the pandemic to produce the largest digital concert in history and re-connected with venues in 2022 by working with over 500 concerts as a part of the inaugural #iVoted Early Sweepstakes.
#iVoted, which recently wrapped the largest digital concert of 2022, all to increase voter turnout for the midterms, gears up for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections with national ramifications.
The non-partisan non-profit has partnered with The Pabst Theatre Group, The Rave, Eagles Ballroom and Nō Studios to give away concert tickets to fans via #iVoted Early Sweepstakes entry with a selfie from outside their polling place.
“I’m always looking out for Wisconsin,” White said. “At the same time, the state’s supreme court has national implications when cases are brought, and were previously denied, regarding alternate electors in 2020. The court also determines voting rights, which will affect all Americans in 2024 and beyond. This is in addition to the loss of reproductive rights in the state for the first time in my lifetime.”
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Over 30 concerts are slated to help attract voter turnout. Participating shows include Lucius, Bouncing Souls, Bikini Kill, Ministry, Joywave, Jukebox the Ghost, Tennis, The Summer Set, Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness, Frank Turner, Riki Rachtman, Milwaukee Metal Fest & Harry Styles + One Direction Dance Party and more. More information and a full list of shows here: ivotedfestival.org/wisweeps.
“No matter how you feel about the issues Wisconsin’s supreme court will be deciding on,” White said. “Their decisions have repercussions on both Wisconsinites and all in our country nationwide.”
