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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2023

CONTACT: Stathi Patseas, spatseas@civicengagement.nyc.gov, (917) 544-2268

DemocracyNYC, HeadCount, Tony's Chocolonely's Celebrate National Voter Registration Day

Civic Engagement partners host voter registration event in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, September 19th

NEW YORK – Today, DemocracyNYC, a program of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC)

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announced its second annual partnership with HeadCount, the nonpartisan, nonprofit voter registration organization, and Tony’s Chocolonely in honor of National Voter Registration Day (NVRD). HeadCount harnesses the power of music, culture, and digital media to encourage people nationwide to participate in democracy. As part of the National Voter Registration Day nonpartisan, civic holiday celebrations on Tuesday, September 19th, the partners will host the activation in Washington Square Park from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to help voters register, update their voter registration, and learn their rights around voting.

“NVRD is an essential nonpartisan kickoff for New Yorkers to prepare to exercise their sacred right to vote. DNYC will be working in partnership with city agencies and organizations throughout the year to build a movement to create a culture of voting in NYC," said Kathleen Daniel, Chief Democracy Officer, DemocracyNYC. "We are excited to once again partner with HeadCount, Tony’s Chocolonely’s, and other NYC agencies as we take steps in our mission to Stop the Drop between voter registration and activation to empower our communities."

“This is a true celebration of democracy and serves the essential purpose of registering voters and raising awareness about upcoming local elections,” said Andy Bernstein, HeadCount & National Voter Registration Day co-founder. “We are excited to work alongside so many wonderful partners to create a vibrant and meaningful event on National Voter Registration Day.”

Everyone is welcome to visit the event to check their registration status and register to vote ahead of local elections this November and the 2024 primary elections. Those who visit Washington Square Park will have the opportunity to engage with The People’s Bus, a bus formerly used to transport people detained on Rikers Island; it has been transformed by the CEC’s Artist in Residence, Yazmany Arboleda, with input from New Yorkers into a community center on wheels that infuses beauty and joy into civics. In 2020, the CEC leveraged the People’s Bus to promote Ranked Choice Voting education, and last year, the Bus played a central role in this inaugural NVRD partnership.

This event is supported by NYU Votes, prompting students to register to vote and participate in upcoming elections. HeadCount’s partners Tony’s Chocolonely’s, Partake Cookies, The Body Shop and Guayaki Yerba Mate will also be in Washington Square to help promote civic engagement through various product samples, and chocolate supplied by Tony’s Chocolonely’s.

“It's ingrained in Tony's Chocolonely’s very essence to be outspoken champions for the causes we hold dear. We believe it's imperative to lend our voice and leverage our resources to empower communities, fostering accessibility, education, and amplifying every voice,” said Aidaly Sosa, US Head of Marketing, Tony’s Chocolonely’s. “This shared vision is why HeadCount is the perfect values-driven partner for our civic engagement efforts. Their commitment aligns seamlessly with our values, and together we hope to create a force for meaningful change. Looking back at the impact we’ve made together throughout the years fills us with pride. Our efforts on this National Voter Registration Day are a continuation of our collective impact, a new chapter in a narrative of empowerment, especially for first-time voters,”

Taking place every September, National Voter Registration Day seeks to create a cultural moment for voter registration and reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. The holiday taps organizations and volunteers from all over the country, hitting the streets in a single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts. More than 5 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date, and each year thousands of partner organizations engage 20,000+ volunteers as a showing of civic unity.

This includes HeadCount, who teams up with the world’s biggest artists year-round like Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Kehlani, Odesza, Dead & Company, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, Alicia Keys and more to get young people and music lovers registered to vote at concerts across the country. HeadCount will have a presence at dozens of events nationwide in honor of National Voter Registration Day. The full list of HeadCount events can be found HERE.

To learn more about Voter Registration Day and check your voter registration status, visit headcount.org. For information about voting in New York City, visit nyc.gov/democracynyc.

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About DemocracyNYC & NYC Civic Engagement Commission:

DemocracyNYC is a nonpartisan program of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) focused on increasing participation in democracy for all New Yorkers as well as increasing voter participation in elections. For more information, visit: nyc.gov/democracynyc. The CEC was established by the voters of New York City as part of an amendment to the City Charter adopted in 2018 with the mission to enhance civic participation, promote civic trust, and strengthen democracy in New York City. Visit the CEC website to learn more: nyc.gov/cec.

About HeadCount

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, Harry Styles, Dead & Co, Billie Eilish and Alicia Keys; organizations such as Global Citizen; events including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals, and RuPaul's DragCon; plus partnerships with brands like Spotify, Major League Baseball, and American Eagle. 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.

About Tony’s Chocolonely

Tony’s Chocolonely is an impact company that makes chocolate. Putting social impact before profit — Tony's Chocolonely's vision is to make chocolate 100% exploitation free. Not just their own chocolate, but all chocolate worldwide. The company was founded in 2005 by 3 journalists from the Dutch TV show ‘Keuringsdienst van Waarde’ after they discovered that the world’s largest chocolate manufacturers were buying cocoa from plantations that used illegal child labor and modern slavery. Since then, Tony’s Chocolonely has dedicated its efforts to raising awareness of and eliminating inequality in the chocolate industry. Tony’s Chocolonely leads by example, building direct, long-term relationships with cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast, paying them a higher price and working together to solve the underlying causes of exploitation. Tony’s Chocolonely wants to inspire the industry as a whole to make 100% exploitation free the norm in chocolate. They believe that being a better business should be the norm, not the exception. The brand has grown to become the market leader in the Netherlands and its bars are now available almost worldwide, with offices in the Netherlands, USA, UK, Germany and Sweden. Tony's Chocolonely is a B-Corp and Fairtrade-certified company.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

NYC Civic Engagement Commission Contact:
publicaffairs@civicengagement.nyc.gov

HeadCount Contact:
press@headcount.org

Tonys’ Chocolonely Contact:
tonys@ledecompany.com