ASCAP Citizen Campaign Returns to Encourage Music Creators and Fans to Vote in 2022 Midterm Elections

In partnership with HeadCount, the new campaign kicks off on National Voter Registration Day September 20, featuring content from top ASCAP members including King Princess, Em Beihold, Shungudzo and more

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) today announced the launch of the 2022 ASCAP Citizen campaign, powered by nonpartisan, nonprofit voter registration organization HeadCount, encouraging ASCAP's more than 875,000 music creator and publisher members and music fans to make sure their voices are heard in this year's midterm elections.

Building on the success of ASCAP and HeadCount's first partnership in 2020, the 2022 ASCAP Citizen campaign kicks off on National Voter Registration Day on September 20 and will run through Election Day on November 8. Starting this week, @ASCAP social media channels will feature photos and videos with personal messages about the importance of voting from ASCAP members across every genre. The initial list includes King Princess, Em Beihold, Shungudzo and more. ASCAP will also amplify "get out the vote" messages from other top ASCAP creators partnered with HeadCount including Billie Eilish, Kehlani, Meghan Trainor and The Chicks, among others.

ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Beth Matthews explained the non-partisan campaign: "ASCAP Citizen is about empowering the music creators who are shaping our culture to shape the future of our democracy as well. It starts with voting, but our goal is to keep our members engaged in advocacy all year round. Active participation and engagement will help protect the rights of music creators and defend the value of music."

"HeadCount is proud to partner with ASCAP to encourage musicians, songwriters and fans alike to get out to the polls for the midterm elections. Studies show nearly half of young voters drop off in midterm elections and we applaud ASCAP for its leadership in giving members all the resources they need to help turn out the vote," said Andy Bernstein, Founder and Executive Director of HeadCount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. Bernstein is also one of the co-founders of National Voter Registration Day, now in its tenth year.

Starting today, anyone can visit www.headcount.org/ascap to register to vote, verify or update their voter registration status and view their local ballot.

ASCAP is also an official partner for National Voter Registration Day on September 20. To extend the momentum of that effort, ASCAP will invite all music creators and fans to share their own ASCAP Citizen messages on social media using the hashtag #ASCAPCitizen to inspire their followers to register to vote ahead of upcoming state voter registration deadlines.

The ASCAP Citizen campaign will shift its focus to getting out the vote in the weeks leading up to Election Day on November 8. More information about ASCAP Citizen can be found at www.ascap.com/citizen.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With more than 875,000 members representing more than 16 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

HeadCount is a non-partisan non-profit organization that harnesses the power of music, culture and digital media to register voters and inspire participation in democracy. Since 2004, we've registered over one million voters through our work with musicians like Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Dead & Co, Harry Styles and Megan Thee Stallion; events including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals, and RuPaul's DragCon; plus partnerships with brands like Spotify, Ben & Jerry's, and GrubHub. Our award-winning online campaigns have been seen over a billion times, while our 50,000 volunteers can be seen at more than 1,500 live events each year. We reach young people where they already are – at concerts and online – to inform and empower. 

SOURCE ASCAP