Michelle Obama To Host 'When We All Vote' Rally In Miami
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) -— Former First Lady Michelle Obama will headline a voter registration rally in Miami later this month.
The event will be held during a week of action to encourage voting for the November elections by a nonpartisan organization she co-chairs, organizers said Wednesday.
Mrs. Obama is hosting the Miami rally on Sept. 28, said Stephanie Young, communications director for When We All Vote.
The former first lady announced last month that When We All Vote will mark the 53rd anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting, by urging Americans to hold events Sept. 22-29 to sign people up to vote in the Nov. 6 midterm elections and beyond — regardless of political affiliation.
"Voting is the only way to ensure that our values and priorities are represented in the halls of power. And it's not enough to just vote for president every four years," Mrs. Obama said in July when she announced When We All Vote. She said it's just as important to vote for mayor, governor, school board members, state lawmakers and members of Congress.
Mrs. Obama has long been one of the most popular draws among Democrats, but so far has committed to just helping When We All Vote boost voter registration and participation. She has kept a low profile since leaving the White House in January 2017, and it remains an open question whether she will campaign for any Democratic candidates.
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, plans to campaign for several House Democratic candidates from California at an event in Orange County on Saturday, announced Ben Ray Lujan, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Obama isn't limiting his campaigning to Congress and has scheduled a Sept. 13 appearance in Cleveland for Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, who served Obama as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Other co-chairs are actor Tom Hanks, "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the NBA's Chris Paul, and singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
The nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization says it will help register anyone who wants to vote in the fall.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
