What do Jennifer Lopez, Steph Curry, and former First Lady Michelle Obama all have in common? They want you to get out and vote in the 2022 midterm elections! The 58-year-old former first lady named J.Lo, 52 and Steph, 33, as well as musicians H.E.R., Bretman Rock, and Becky G as co-chairs for her When We All Vote organization and called on fans to make sure they’re ready to cast their ballots in the 2022 midterm elections in November.
The video, posted on Monday January 31, featured a variety of stars asking the question “Are you ready?” and encouraging people to “join” them in preparing for the upcoming midterm elections. The video featured the new co-chairs as well as other stars like Tom Hanks, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Kerry Washington, who are all already co-chairs for When We All Vote, asking if people are ready. “Are you ready for the midterm elections?” Michelle asked in the clip and encouraged viewers to text a number to receive updates about actions they can take to make sure they’re registered to vote and to help encourage others to do so. In a press release, the organization explained that celebrity co-chairs help use their platform to meet When We All Vote’s goals of getting people out to the polls and closing gaps between age and race among voters.
Along with the video, Michelle also penned an Instagram caption, calling for people to fight against unfair laws that suppress voters. “[T]hese last couple of years, state legislatures across the country have passed laws making it harder for people to cast their ballots. The folks who want to derail our progress want us to stay quiet and stop paying attention,” she wrote. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can change the culture around voting and fight voter suppression.”
The new celebrity co-chairs are only the latest effort from the former first lady to get out the vote through When We All Vote. She’d previously announced her plans to register a million new voters for the 2022 midterms, as well as encourage constituents to call their senators to pass The Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act in an open letter on January 11.