(Image courtesy of Grateful Gypsies)
Every four years, we hear the phrase “this is the most important election of our lifetime.” It may be a bit cliched at this point in time, but it’s also very much true this time around. It’s been a rough year to say the least, with a global pandemic shutting our precious shows and festivals down. The good news is that you have a chance in just a few short weeks to make your voice heard and shape the future of this country!
If you’re not registered to vote or aren’t sure of your status, our good friends at HeadCount are here to help. And do you know what’s even better than participating in our democracy? Winning a pair of VIP passes to Summer Camp in the process!
That’s right, folks – Summer Camp and HeadCount are teaming up in this important election year! All you need to do is head here to check your voter status. Whether you’re registered or not, you’re eligible for the grand prize of 2-Super Deluxe VIP Passes for Summer Camp 2021!
For those who aren’t registered yet, HeadCount makes it super easy for you to do so. In fact, they have been registering live music lovers to vote since 2004. This non-profit organization was founded by Andy Bernstein and Marc Brownstein. Yes, that Marc Brownstein – the one from the Disco Biscuits (“What’s up, Summer Camp?!?!”).
If you’ve been to a concert or festival in the last decade and a half, chances are you’ve seen HeadCount in action. You can usually find them on Participation Row along with all the other awesome non-profit organizations that attend festivals across the country. HeadCount has been a staple at Summer Camp for many years and will be so for many more to come.
Despite the lack of shows and festivals this year, HeadCount has still been hard at work. In fact, they just registered 22,557 voters in one single day for #NationalVoterRegistrationDay. That was the biggest day in their 16-year history! They’ve already passed their goal of registering 200,000 voters for this election, but you can help them blow way past that number while signing up for a chance to rock out at SCamp 2021 in the process. Talk about a win-win!
I’m not just one of your Summer Camp Counselors, but I’m also a huge supporter of civic engagement. Despite spending the better part of the past decade living abroad, I still make sure to stay involved in both federal and local elections. I try to vote in person whenever possible, but I’ve also voted absentee from the US Embassy in Beijing and have mailed in my ballot for a few other elections.
It’s easy to feel defeated and hopeless when it comes to politics in this country. I totally get that. But this year more than ever it’s important to make your voice heard. I spent six years living in China and let me tell you something – there are over a billion people who wish they even had the chance to cast a ballot to have a say in how their government works. You have a pretty huge privilege as an American citizen and I hope you use it!
I remember going to shows back in the early 00’s and hearing the same thing over and over again from Bob Weir as he encouraged people to visit the HeadCount booth – “If Dead Heads in Florida had registered to vote, this would be a very different country.” Well that still rings true in 2020 with our festival family. If we all register and show up, we can and will have a serious impact on this election and our collective future!
Even if you’re not that excited about the top of the ticket, your local elections are incredibly important. Don’t sit this election out just because you don’t like the two names at the top. There’s so much more at stake in a big election year like this one, including bills on recreational cannabis use in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota.
Voting can also be kind of a pain if we’re being honest about it. The good news is that most states are doing early voting as well as mail-in voting. The clock is ticking, though, so it’s crucial that you figure out your options sooner than later. If you’re going to vote by mail, make sure you get that ballot in as soon as possible. Better yet – see if there’s a drop box at your local office so you can ensure that it gets there in time!
The Festival Challenge is only running through October 1st, so make sure you click here to check your status and enter the contest. Best of luck to all those who enter! Let’s all get engaged and make sure the SCamp family voices are heard this election year. I look forward to the day we can all get together and make memories at Three Sisters Park!
Let’s get something clear here – HeadCount is a non-partisan organization, as is Summer Camp. We’re not telling you who to vote for, just to vote! People, democracy is not a spectator sport!!
-Camp Counselor Sasha
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