While the 20th Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was in full swing on Thursday and Friday – both in attendance and in the real heat – one nonprofit took advantage of the colorful chaos to promote democracy and civic engagement.
Under a bright, disco-decorated tent in the nonprofit section of Centeroo sat Headcount, a national nonpartisan nonprofit that promotes voter registration through music festivals across the country. Featuring Bonnaroo-themed voting pins, a cool-down tent and several inflatable benches, the spot was popular with festival goers.
This was exactly the goal, says Chris Tallent, field director at Headcount.
“We’ve been coming to Bonnaroo for many years; it’s also one of the biggest festivals we go to,” he said. “We are so excited to be here.”
Including Bonnaroo, the organization sets up camp at more than 1,000 live events each year to promote voter registration. According to the organization’s website, the group has attracted more than a million voters since 2003 through festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Pride festivals and RuPaul’s DragCon, and on tour with celebrity partners such as Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Dead & Company.
Events like these are an important aspect of community engagement, Tallent explained, because the target audience is typically young adults – many of whom are unregistered.
“Festivals are a great venue because we always try to meet people where they are and bring joy and positive energy to democracy,” he said. “And especially to get young people involved in voting in democracy, there is no better place to go than shows, festivals and concerts.”
Tennessee’s election turnout has repeatedly been among the lowest in the country. According to a survey by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Performance Index, 79 percent of eligible Tennesseans are registered to vote, with the state ranked 43rd.rd in the country for election turnout, with only 31 percent of the state’s population voting in the 2022 election cycle.
The national average for that year was 47 percent.
Tallent said he hopes events like this can help stem the tide of poor voter participation.
“Getting people registered to vote is important because we need a democracy that includes everyone – and we want everyone to be civically engaged,” he said.
USA Today Network – Tennessee’s coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a partnership between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: At Bonnaroo, the positive vibe extends to democracy, not just the music
