To our Carolina family:
For a quarter-century, we've been proud to represent you on the field and in the community. On game days, you've welcomed us into your family rooms, your businesses, your barracks, and your dorm rooms. And every day, we've been proud to serve alongside you in the places that matter most to our shared community — from schools, to food banks, to military bases.
We do this because all of us have a responsibility to make the Carolinas an even better place to live. That's especially true of those who have the biggest megaphones. Today, we're using our megaphone to call attention to a big need in the Carolinas — and our game plan to address it.
In less than four months, most of us will have the opportunity to exercise our most sacred right as Americans: the right to vote.
Yet we know that many Carolinians will not vote. Between our two states, just six in 10 eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2016 election. In 2018, less than half did. Now, COVID-19 is slowing registration efforts in 2020 — and could make it harder to get to the polls. That's a problem. Even without a public health crisis, voting can be a challenge — one so great that you might ask whether you should even show up.
Let's stop right there.
We want to say loud and clear: Your vote counts.
Your vote counts because this is America. Democracy is what we do.
Your vote counts because your voice counts. We all have ideas about how America needs to change, but the ballot box is the place we make change real. Your vote counts even if you don't care about politics. When we vote in state and local elections, we're deciding what happens in our schools. Our parks. Our police departments. Our hospitals.
So just as our players and coaches train to be ready on any given Sunday, you need to be ready for one specific Tuesday — Tuesday, November 3. Election Day. We want to help. Beginning now, the Panthers are partnering with nonpartisan voting organizations to break down obstacles between you and the ballot box.
We're following a three-part game plan:
- We are going to educate. With nonpartisan partners, we are going to share information — online, on the airwaves, and in your community — to make it easier to understand how and where to vote.
- We are going to register. Too many of our friends and neighbors miss the opportunity to vote because they miss the registration deadline (October 5 in South Carolina and October 9 in North Carolina). We're going to lead a campaign to sign people up to vote.
- We are going to activate. We are going to help mobilize voters and get out the vote before and on Election Day. We're also issuing an appeal to our fans and supporters to be one of the 30,000 poll workers we need in North Carolina and 20,000 we need in South Carolina.
On Election Day, we are all Americans first. We all need to show up — for our community, the Carolinas, and the country we love.
Starting today, the Panthers are making that commitment. Not only for this election, but for all elections. Democracy demands nothing less.
We'll see you at the polls.
Sincerely,
Your Carolina Panthers
