It’s no secret that people in their 20s and 30s are quick to hesitate when it comes to midterm elections, or voting in general. Some say that it’s hard to keep up with politics, others say they just don’t have time to make it to the polls. Some millennials have even said that they don’t keep up with the local news.
According to Pew, only 49% of eligible millennial voters participated in the 2016 election. Numbers are rising from the 2008 elections, but not by much.
So what can be done to get millennials to the polls? Last month, a tweet went viral, and sparked a few brilliant ideas: “What if you got a Supreme sticker after voting?”
what if u got a supreme sticker after voting
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) September 13, 2018
That would probably attract a decent millennial crowd to the polls.
One designer has taken this idea and ran with it. Brendan Fowler, an L.A. designer and artist, says that getting out to vote should be done “by any means necessary.”
He launched Election Reform, a line that he founded back in 2015 seeking “to foster dialogue about reforming America’s broken electoral system.” This voting season, Fowler has partnered with Tremaine Emory, of Denim Tears. The central piece to their system is a pop-up shop in Los Angeles that sells merch and hosts big events—like this t-shirt giveaway.
On November 6, Fowler is giving away free (limited edition) merchandise to those who prove they voted in the 2018 midterm elections. Though the shirts will only be available in certain cities, it’s still a pretty solid incentive. Who doesn’t love free t-shirts?
In an interview with GQ, Fowler shared that this effort is coming from his frustration with kids who are waiting in line for hours for streetwear brands’ clothing drops (like Supreme), but aren’t taking the initiative to vote.
Those who do plan to drop their ballot on November 6 can register for the Election Reform event, then bring their “I Voted” sticker to the pop up shop to get a limited edition t-shirt.
“We’re putting our money and our effort where our mouth is.” Fowler told GQ. “It’s not casual to produce a bunch of stuff. We’re just trying to say how important voting is.”
