{"id":2343858,"date":"2024-09-20T10:23:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-voting-initiative-partners-with-democrat-activist-groups\/"},"modified":"2024-09-20T10:26:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:26:21","slug":"nfl-voting-initiative-partners-with-democrat-activist-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-voting-initiative-partners-with-democrat-activist-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Voting Initiative Partners With Democrat Activist Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnfl-voting-initiative-partners-with-democrat-activist-groups%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343858&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article critiques \u2063various voter \u2064mobilization\u2062 organizations and their leadership, arguing they are \u2062heavily \u200dinfluenced by former \u200cDemocratic\u2063 Party operatives. <\/p>\n<p>1. **Rock the Vote**:\u2064 Led by Carolyn DeWitt, who has ties to the Democratic National \u2063Convention,\u200d and includes individuals like Rasheed Varner \u2064and Amanda Brown \u2062Lierman, \u200dboth \u2063with significant Democratic backgrounds. Rock the Vote is \u200bportrayed as \u200bhaving a\u200b leftist agenda, particularly in its alliances and\u2062 operations.<\/p>\n<p>2. **Voto Latino**: Described \u200cas a leftist organization that promotes liberal \u200cimmigration policy and voter mobilization, with CEO\u200b Maria Teresa Kumar having \u2062a background\u200d in Democratic politics. The\u200c organization is noted for its partnerships\u200b with influential progressive figures, including Rep. \u200cAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n<p>3. **I Am A Voter**: Co-founded by Mandana Dayani\u2062 and \u200cDebra\u200b Messing, \u200bthis group projects a politically neutral image yet\u200c engages with \u2062left-of-center celebrities\u2063 and issues.<\/p>\n<p>4. **RISE to Vote**: An initiative promoting voter participation in sports, \u2064led by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, characterized as heavily partisan.<\/p>\n<p>5. **NFL Partnership**: \u2064The article claims that initiatives \u2063like NFL Votes \u2064align \u2063closely with leftist organizations, asserting that they have been effective in turning out Democratic voters, \u2063particularly \u2062through venues used as polling locations.<\/p>\n<p>6. **Vote411**: The\u200b piece raises concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-chinas-tiktok-unable-to-explain-why-they-may-store-your-faceprints-and-voiceprints-and-other-biometric-data\/\" title=\"Report: China\u2019s TikTok \u2018Unable To Explain\u2019 Why They May Store Your \u2018Faceprints And Voiceprints\u2019 And Other \u2018Biometric Data\u2019\">data collection practices<\/a>\u2063 from this project associated with \u200dthe League of Women Voters, suggesting \u2064it is misleading and potentially exploitative of users&#8217; data.<\/p>\n<p>The overall tone suggests a critical view of \u200dthese organizations, asserting they operate with a partisan \u200cbias despite claims of nonpartisanship. The article posits that\u200c this alignment\u200b with leftist causes and individuals impacts the integrity\u200b of increased voter turnout initiatives.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Are you ready for some football?! How about some leftist-led get-out-the-vote (GOTV) games?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Well, you get both with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/causes\/votes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NFL Votes<\/a> campaign.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The all-powerful National Football League says the &ldquo;League-wide, nonpartisan initiative supports and encourages civic engagement among NFL players, and legends, club and league personnel, and fans.&rdquo; Launched in 2020 as a joint effort between the NFL and NFL Players Association, NFL Votes &ldquo;focuses on three key components of the electoral process: voter education, voter registration, and voter activation,&rdquo; according to the league&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/causes\/votes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sounds noble enough.<\/p>\n<p>But if you&rsquo;re scoring along at home, the NFL&rsquo;s teammates include some of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/revealed-left-wing-billionaire-pierre-omidyar-bankrolls-group-leading-corporate-boycott-campaign-against-elon-musk\/\" title=\"Revealed: Left-Wing Billionaire Pierre Omidyar Bankrolls Group Leading Corporate Boycott Campaign Against Elon Musk\">left-wing activist organizations<\/a> on the election field today. Starting on the campaign&rsquo;s roster is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockthevote.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rock the Vote<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/operations.nfl.com\/updates\/football-ops\/nfl-s-por-la-cultura-initiative-celebrates-latino-community-and-culture-year-round\/\">Voto Latino,<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/iamavoter.com\/?srsltid=AfmBOoq0o2GUxM_K_r9yNneKvOf4lOyVmTg_3Tic8IBrvAUfUnCZR0Qv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I am a voter<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Rock the Leftists<\/h2>\n<p>Rock the Vote has been around since 1990, when music executives partnered with MTV and celebrities on the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockthevote.org\/about-rock-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Censorship is Un-American&rdquo; <\/a>campaign after foul-mouthed rap acts such as N.W.A and 2 Live Crew brought out an indignant wave of speech silencers.<\/p>\n<p>It was a simpler time, when MTV actually played music videos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thrilled by its accomplishment of activating &ldquo;millions of young people&rdquo; to turn out to the polls, the leftist nonprofit has parlayed its GOTV successes into a multitude of leftist causes over its 30-plus years in operation &mdash; even as targeting the young adult vote remained central to its efforts.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The group claims to be nonpartisan, but has produced videos throughout the years using celebrities who largely endorse a left-of-center agenda, including abortion rights, liberalizing criminal justice policy, and marijuana legalization,&rdquo; non-profit tracker InfluenceWatch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/rock-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In 2009, Rock the Vote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockthevote.org\/health-care-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used<\/a> its multimedia muscle to promote President Barack Obama and Democrats&rsquo; healthcare agenda, including what would become the government-driven Obamacare. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The progressive network is led by a laundry list of former Democrat Party and leftist operatives. Rock the Vote President and Executive Director <a href=\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/213\/2021\/10\/Carolyn-DeWitt-Bio.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carolyn DeWitt<\/a> previously served as a deputy director at the Democratic National Convention. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/rock-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rasheed Varner<\/a>, Rock the Vote&rsquo;s Data and Research associate, formerly worked for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/05\/in-opposite-day-logic-usa-today-breathlessly-defends-zuckerbucks\/\">Center for Tech <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/05\/in-opposite-day-logic-usa-today-breathlessly-defends-zuckerbucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/05\/in-opposite-day-logic-usa-today-breathlessly-defends-zuckerbucks\/\">nd Civic Life<\/a>, the 2020 election-rigging front for &ldquo;Zuckbucks.&rdquo;&nbsp; And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.behavioralhealthtech.com\/2024-speakers\/amanda-brown-lierman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amanda Brown Lierman,<\/a> co-chair of Rock the Vote&rsquo;s board of directors, served as political and organizing director of the Democratic National Committee and was &ldquo;organizer for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/person\/barack-obama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barack Obama<\/a>&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/political-party\/obama-2008-presidential-campaign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">presidential campaign in 2007<\/a>, before working for the Obama transition team,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/rock-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">InfluenceWatch.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Send in the Leftist Celebrities<\/h2>\n<p>Voto Latino, also known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fppc.ca.gov\/enforcement\/EnfDivCaseResults\/stipulated-agreements\/2009-sdo\/march-sdo\/voto-latino-action-fund-pac-and-maria-teresa-kumar.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Voto Latino Action Fund,<\/a> is a leftist-funded and staffed voter mobilization organization that, according to InfluenceWatch, pioneered texting-based voter registration. The &ldquo;nonpartisan&rdquo; group in 2013 put its weight behind a campaign for liberal immigration policy reforms, partnering with, among others, Rock the Vote. The Squad queen, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., appeared in a 2019 video for Voto Latino after receiving a birthday card from the group signed by 10,000 well-wishers, InfluenceWatch reports.<\/p>\n<p>Voto Latino&rsquo;s leadership team includes CEO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshistory.org\/education-resources\/biographies\/maria-teresa-kumar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maria Teresa Kumar<\/a>, who previously served as a legislative aid to the late Rep. Vic Fazio, D-Calif., and has been a member of the boards of EMILY&rsquo;s List and Planned Parenthood. Kumar also is a frequent MSNBC contributor. Former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/government-agency\/obama-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Obama administration<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/government-agency\/department-of-housing-and-urban-development\/\">Housing and Urban Development<\/a> Secretary Julian Castro is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/05\/22\/julian-castro-to-join-voto-latino-as-senior-advisor-274794\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">senior adviser<\/a> for Voto Latino.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>Like Rock the Vote and Voto Latino, I am a voter is populated and supported by a gaggle of leftist celebrities. The &ldquo;ostensibly nonpartisan&rdquo; get-out-the-vote organization was co-founded by fashionista and liberal activist <a href=\"https:\/\/events.womens-forum.com\/women-s-forum-global-meeting-2023\/speaker\/ca489157-dd5c-ee11-9937-000d3a4cc0c5\/mandana-dayani\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mandana Dayani<\/a> and actress <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0005226\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Debra Messing<\/a>, among other Hollywood glitterati. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Despite framing itself as politically neutral, I am a voter regularly associates with left-of-center celebrities, and Dayana and Messing are well-known for their left-of-center views on matters like racial issues, LGBT issues, and gun control,&rdquo; InfluenceWatch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/i-am-a-voter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dayani and Messing co-host a <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-dissenters-with-debra-messing-and-mandana-dayani\/id1510623465\">podcast<\/a> that has featured a who&rsquo;s who of far-left politicians and activists &mdash; from Jane Fonda and Hillary Clinton to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and &ldquo;Trans Trailblazer&rdquo; Schuyler Bailar.<\/p>\n<p>Another NFL Votes partner is RISE to Vote, which encourages professional athletes and their fans to vote. Who started the RISE to Vote initiative? Michigan Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/05\/michigan-secretary-of-state-threatens-election-officials-again-calls-russia-hoaxer-champion-for-democracy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jocelyn Benson,<\/a> arguably the most partisan Democrat state election official in the country. Before she took over as the swing state&rsquo;s top election integrity denier, Benson led the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/116\/meeting\/house\/110768\/witnesses\/HHRG-116-JU00-Bio-BensonJ-20200603.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ross Initiative in Sports (RISE),<\/a> where she launched RISE to Vote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>More &lsquo;Social Justice&rsquo; from the NFL?<\/h2>\n<p>Rock the Vote, RISE to Vote, and I am a voter have been with the NFL partnership since its launch in 2020, on the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That was the same year the NFL was genuflecting at the altar of the violent Black Lives Matter movement, which had turned U.S. cities into riot zones in the wake of George Floyd&rsquo;s death in police custody, among others. The NFL, like other mega U.S. corporations, was swept up in the anti-law enforcement and race-baiting narrative constructed by a complicit corporate media and the American left en route to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=mollie+hemingway+rigged&amp;hvadid=598659528889&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=9017943&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=10231433687793398560&amp;hvtargid=kwd-1262375116246&amp;hydadcr=22563_13531175&amp;tag=googhydr-20&amp;ref=pd_sl_674ootsgtd_e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rigged 2020 presidential election.<\/a> The NFL&rsquo;s kowtowing to the leftist social justice movement <a href=\"https:\/\/cbs12.com\/sports\/content\/chiefs-texans-booed-as-racial-justice-stand-sparks-outrage-09-12-2020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alienated a lot of fans<\/a> who resisted the forced dose of politics with America&rsquo;s most popular sporting spectacle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Four years later, NFL Votes is doubling down on its brand of &ldquo;civic engagement,&rdquo; working alongside the usual suspects on the left known for targeting likely Democrat voters in their GOTV campaigns. In what polling suggests will be an extremely close election, every vote counts. And the leftist groups on the NFL Votes team have a proven record of turning out votes for Democrats. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>RISE has provided &ldquo;education programming&rdquo; to almost all of the NFL&rsquo;s 32 franchises, Scott Pioli, NFL media analyst, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/author\/scott-pioli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As a member of RISE&rsquo;s board of directors, I know RISE facilitators have engaged with players, coaches, staff and other employees within the clubs,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;RISE is a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the entire sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice issues and improve race relations. It has also served other leagues and colleges athletes across the country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/cavaliers\/features\/nance-bubble-200928\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBA<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockthevote.org\/programs-and-partner-resources\/athletes-rock-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WNBA<\/a>, and professional and amateur athletes from other sports have participated in similar voter engagement efforts, they can&rsquo;t compete with the NFL&rsquo;s footprint and influence. Once again, the league has mandated its franchises reach out to elections officials &ldquo;and offer their facilities for voting-related activities.&rdquo; In the 2020 and 2022 general elections, &ldquo;NFL facilities were used as election sites for voter registration, ballot drop-off, early voting and Election Day&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbusinessjournal.com\/Articles\/2024\/01\/31\/oped-31-pioli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">polling locations<\/a>&nbsp;&mdash; an area of the NFL Votes initiative that has long been a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bostonglobe.com\/2024\/03\/09\/sports\/2024-election-scott-pioli-patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">personal passion of mine<\/a>,&rdquo; Pioli wrote.<\/p>\n<h2>A &lsquo;Shady Way&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Rock the Vote also partners with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/organization\/vote411-org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vote411<\/a>, a leftist project of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/league-of-women-voters-education-fund-lwvef\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">League of Women Voters Education Fund<\/a>. Organizers bill the project as a &ldquo;nonpartisan&rdquo; election resource, a &ldquo;one-stop-shop&rdquo; for &ldquo;election related information,&rdquo; my Federalist colleague Logan Washburn <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/01\/vote411-feeds-voter-info-to-leftist-data-harvesting-machine-while-masquerading-as-nonpartisan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> last month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It offers &lsquo;general and state-specific information&rsquo; on things like voter registration and ID requirements. But it also collects user data for the leftist groups League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote,&rdquo; he wrote in the piece headlined, &ldquo;Vote411 Feeds Voter Info To Leftist Data Harvesting Machine While Masquerading As &lsquo;Nonpartisan.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has warned voters about what he called Vote411&rsquo;s &ldquo;misleading public service announcement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m exposing this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vote411-feeds-voter-info-to-leftist-data-harvesting-machine\/\" title=\"Vote411 Feeds Voter Info To Leftist Data Harvesting Machine\">data-mining collection effort masquerading<\/a> as Vote411. It&rsquo;s a sham,&rdquo; Allen said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.alabama.gov\/newsroom\/secretary-state-wes-allen-warns-alabama-citizens-about-misleading-voter-registration-psa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release.<\/a> &ldquo;This is simply a shady way to collect the IP addresses and personal data of Alabama citizens.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Terms of Use section on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vote411.org\/legal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vote411&rsquo;s website<\/a> acknowledges that it collects user IP data and asks for additional information, but the League of Women Voters claims it &ldquo;will not rent, sell or trade your email address or phone number with any third party.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The League may, from time to time, share the name and mailing address of its non-member financial supporters with other non-profit organizations. Members and supporters, (such as donors and&nbsp;electronic communication recipients) may also receive additional communications from the League, such as occasional news and alerts about the issues on which we work,&rdquo; the site notes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When clicking on the &ldquo;Register Now&rdquo; box toward the top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/causes\/votes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NFL.com site<\/a>, users are directed to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.partners.rockthevote.org\/nflvotes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> partners.rockthevote.org <\/a>page. They are prompted to provide their email address and their Zip Code. A small print Disclaimer below advises that, &ldquo;By continuing, you accept Rock the Vote&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockthevote.org\/about-rock-the-vote\/privacy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and agree to receive occasional election reminder emails from Rock the Vote. You can opt out from emails at any time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the level of interaction with the Rock the Vote site, the liberal activist group may collect the following information, according to the privacy policy:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Identifiers<\/strong>, such as your name, email address, physical address, phone number, Social Security Number, and other government issued ID numbers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Demographic information<\/strong>, such as your date of birth, gender, race, marital status.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professional information<\/strong>, such as your employer or the organization you are affiliated with.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Internet activity information<\/strong>, such as your IP address, device ID, browser type and version, pages you visited on the Services, search terms and results on the Services, date and time you viewed pages on the Services, your language preferences, and other information about how you interact with the Services.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non-precise geolocation information<\/strong>, such as geolocation derived from your IP address.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>&lsquo;Democracy is not a Spectator Sport&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>NFL media relations officials did not return The Federalist&rsquo;s request seeking comment about NFL Votes and its activist partners. According to the league&rsquo;s webpage, &ldquo;All 32 clubs and players throughout the league support this initiative and will engage in efforts to highlight the importance of voting and encourage fans to become informed and active voters.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Democracy is not a spectator sport. We urge everyone who is eligible to cast a ballot in our elections and have a say in our country&rsquo;s direction and future,&rdquo; the NFL insists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But the company the football colossus is keeping in its &ldquo;civic engagement&rdquo; campaign raises some serious questions about its ultimate aims. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you excited for football? How about some leftist-driven get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities? You can have both with the NFL Votes campaign. The influential National Football League describes this &#8220;League-wide, nonpartisan initiative&#8221; as a way to promote civic engagement among NFL players, legends, club and league staff, and fans. Initiated in 2020 through a collaboration between the NFL and the NFL Players Association, NFL Votes emphasizes three main aspects of the electoral process: voter education, registration, and activation.<\/p>\n<p>While this sounds commendable, it&#8217;s important to note that the NFL&#8217;s partners include some of today&#8217;s most prominent left-wing activist organizations. Among these are Rock the Vote, Voto Latino, and I am a voter.<\/p>\n<p>Rock the Vote has been active since 1990 when music industry leaders teamed up with MTV to launch a campaign against censorship following controversies surrounding explicit rap artists like N.W.A and 2 Live Crew. Over its more than three decades of operation, Rock the Vote has successfully mobilized millions of young voters while also advocating for various progressive causes. Although it claims to be nonpartisan, it has produced numerous videos featuring celebrities who predominantly support left-leaning agendas such as abortion rights and criminal justice reform.<\/p>\n<p>In 2009, Rock the Vote leveraged its platform to promote President Barack Obama\u2019s healthcare initiatives that led to what is now known as Obamacare. The organization is run by individuals with strong ties to Democratic politics; for instance, Carolyn DeWitt serves as President after previously working at the Democratic National Convention.<\/p>\n<p>Voto Latino is another partner in this initiative; it focuses on mobilizing Latino voters through innovative methods like texting-based registration. This organization has also supported liberal immigration reforms alongside groups like Rock the Vote.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly aligned is I am a voter\u2014a group co-founded by liberal activists including actress Debra Messing\u2014who frequently collaborates with other left-leaning celebrities on various social issues.<\/p>\n<p>Another participant in this effort is RISE to Vote which encourages athletes and their fans to participate in elections but was initiated by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson\u2014a figure known for her partisan stance within election integrity discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Since its inception in 2020\u2014marking 55 years since the Voting Rights Act\u2014the NFL Votes campaign has continued collaborating with these organizations despite backlash from fans who feel politics should not intrude upon sports entertainment. As we approach what polls suggest will be a tightly contested election cycle where every vote matters significantly more than ever before\u2014the involvement of these groups known for their success in mobilizing Democrat voters raises questions about their true intentions within civic engagement efforts promoted by one of America\u2019s most popular sports leagues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":2343859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-19-at-11.40.31-PM-1024x523.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[41327,5521,7215,41326],"class_list":["post-2343858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-activist-groups","tag-democracy","tag-nfl","tag-voting-initiative"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-19-at-11.40.31-PM-1024x523.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}