Editor’s Note: There are less than 75 days until voters nationwide will descend upon the polls to elect officials to some of the top offices in the country. This election year has been unlike any other in recent years past, and the critical issues that affect everyday citizens – like the economy, healthcare, and civil rights – matter more than ever.
AllHipHop.com is committed to helping convene the Hip-Hop generation at the polls. All this week, join us to learn about some of the ways OUR CULTURE is stepping up big to ensure the right to vote.
(AllHipHop News) New voter ID laws in various states have become hot-button issues for people who are deciding if, when, and who to vote for in the November elections. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and AllHipHop.com have teamed up on #VoteReady with Black Thought and Questlove of The Roots, DJ Young Guru, Hakim Green of Channel Live, and more, to educate the public about the need to have adequate IDs and registrations when they head to the polls. 
#VoteReady leaders (including IMPACT and the Lawyers Committee) will host a Twitter town hall meeting today (August 28 at 12PM EST) to raise support for the campaign. Use hashtag #VoteReady to join the discussion. According to the CBC’s #VoteReady overview, “since the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, many states throughout the country have enacted or proposed strict voting laws that impose unfair restrictions on eligible voters across the country.” The CBC also notes that block the vote efforts through restrictive voting legislation could prevent as many as 5 million people from registering to vote and/or casting a ballot this election year. 
In Philadelphia, where Black Thought and Questlove call hometown, it is estimated that more than 40 percent of potential voters will be deemed ineligible at the polls due to ID restrictions. There are more than 204,000 unregistered African American voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania alone (and 6 million nationwide). The number of votes tallied from a large city such as Philly could literally decide the election results. To that end, the CBC’s #VoteReady Hip-Hop collective will do their part to raise awareness about the need to obtain a valid ID and register to vote. From now through election day, the participating artists will record and broadcast PSAs, participate in state Boards of Election rallies in Philadelphia and other cities along with CBC members and partners including Rock The Vote! on September 25, and send tweets to their loyal fanbases asking them to #VoteReady this November. Look for more #VoteReady coverage from AllHipHop.com. For more info on the CBC and initiatives such as #VoteReady campaign, visit www.thecongressionalblackcaucus.com. VIDEO: Havoc (formerly of Mobb Deep) talks about how he believes recent ID laws are designed to suppress certain groups of people from the polls: