Celebrities are less likely to vote in midterm elections, just like us!
Rock The Vote released a public service announcement last month with a parody of Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What" that featured public figures who explained why they planned to vote in the midterm elections, but according to public records, a number of them didn't vote in the last midterm election.
At least five who appeared in the PSA — "Girls" actress Lena Dunham, comedian Whoopi Goldberg, "Orange is the New Black" actress Natasha Lyonne, "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" star E.J. Johnson, and actor Darren Criss — did not vote in the last midterm, records from Los Angeles County and New York City show.
The Washington Post was unable to locate voting records for six others who appeared in the PSA, including Lil Jon.
Rock The Vote makes sure its spokespeople are registered, but does not confirm whether they have voted in past elections.
"Rock The Vote's approach is forward-looking," said Audrey Gelman, a spokeswoman for the group, in an e-mail to The Washington Post. "The talent who participate in our campaigns are registered to vote and have pledged to turn out this Tuesday and in upcoming elections. We believe individuals who have missed opportunities to vote in the past should not be disqualified from committing to participate in the political process in the future, and helping spread a positive message of civic engagement."
Less than 1 in 4 voters ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2010 election, and according to a Harvard survey released last week, about the same number will vote Tuesday, although their partisan preferences have changed. In 2010, young voters favored Democrats by a 16-point margin, but today they favor Republicans by a four-point margin.
