“Vote Because You Can”: The Good Place’s Demi Adejuyigbe Stars in Voting PSA

Demi Adejuyigbe (The Good Place, The Late Late Show) and the team at Sandwich Video are enlisting you to vote in a fun new PSA. Why? “Because you’re a grown-up and that’s how democracy works.” Why else? “Because the people in power don’t want you to vote because that’s how they stay in power.”

The video has Adejuyigbe walk you through the general process of voting, dispelling the notion that your vote doesn’t matter, registering and then double-checking that you’re registered “cause sometimes people pull a funny prank called voter suppression.” Also, bad coffee. “It’s not a test,” the comedian continues, “it’s ok to look at your phone, or bring a cheat sheet, or just leave stuff blank. Just vote for whoever you think is the right choice. After all, it’s a free country…..for now [winks].”

The video balances light-hearted humor, like a sign-spinning Uncle Sam in the background, with an earnestness that acknowledges how voting is absolutely essential and especially urgent right now. Like, really, really super urgent. When he says that people in power don’t want you to vote, he’s not kidding: the voter suppression is out in full force right now. It’s really, really horrendous.

Need more reasons to vote? “Vote because you can,” says Adejuyigbe. “Vote because old rich people have all the power, but your vote counts just as much as theirs does. Vote because it’s your chance to make yourself matter in a world that doesn’t want you to matter. Vote because the more people vote, the better democracy works. It’s that easy.”

Adejuyigbe consistently been a great force for good on the internet, and he does great a great job in the PSA.

Of course, the way you participate in a democracy is not restricted to voting and you should absolutely not stand for someone telling you otherwise. That being said, you should vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote if you can.

(via BoingBoing, image: screencap)

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