ValuesCo, TIME Magazine Leverage Solana Blockchain in Campaign to Boost Voter Turnout

With the U.S. Presidential Election around the corner, traditional media outlets and non-profits turn to emerging technology to boost voter turnout.

Finn Miller

Published: Oct 7, 2024 at 12:00
Edited: Oct 7, 2024 at 13:56

ValuesCo, a young technology and experience company, announces the launch of its Time to Vote civic engagement campaign, aiming to enhance voter turnout and bring 50,000 young voters to the polling booth in November’s critical election.

Collaborating with TIME Magazine and HeadCount, a non-profit organization that encouraged 1.3M voters to register in 2020, the ValuesCo app is built on the Solana blockchain. Best known for its partnerships with entertainment industry heavyweights like Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Ariana Grande, HeadCount’s previous online campaigns have reached billions of views.

The Time to Vote campaign is an inventive approach to boosting voter engagement ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Bringing together a niche selection of mission-aligned organizations, the campaign hopes to connect to the 41M-strong community of eligible Gen Z voters.

Josh Fried, Head of Commerce Business Development at the Solana Foundation, champions the collaboration, highlighting Solana’s high-performance Layer-1 as an optimal platform for authentic community building.

“Solana's open, permissionless blockchain is the right choice for any projects looking to build in a transparent way. Time to Vote's "get out the vote" efforts are a wonderful example of verifiable, on-chain community building." - Josh Fried, Solana Foundation Head of Commerce Business Development

How Does it Work?

In partnership with over 35 celebrated creators, the Time to Vote campaign incentives participants to register to vote, make a voting plan, and share their election journey via social media and the ValuesCo app.

time to vote app

Participants are actively rewarded with free gifts, like rides and confectionary, from campaign partners, including Lyft, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Snoop Dogg’s Dr. Bombay Ice Cream. Built on the Solana Blockchain, the ValuesCo app ensures transparent and verifiable activity from participants.

The campaign marks a significant milestone for the blockchain industry, with household names like TIME collaborating with ValuesCo and its blockchain-based app to tackle real-world issues like voter abstention. TIME Chief Brand Officer Maya Draisin expressed enthusiasm for the campaign’s vision.

“We are excited to partner with ValuesCo and their consortium of NGOs, influencers, and brands also committed to building a better future for our planet. Our journalism drives the most important conversations forward, and this campaign provides an opportunity to move our young readers from awareness to action in the 2024 Presidential Election.” - Maya Draisin, TIME Chief Brand Officer

Regardless of the November election’s outcome, ValuesCo CEO and co-founder Andrew Berkowitz believes that blockchain technology can be a valuable tool that can be leveraged to incentivize engagement and verifiable community building.

“We believe in empowering young people to feel more agency and understand that grassroots solutions to the world’s biggest challenges are possible. Our work is a testament to how coalition building amongst publishers, brands, nonprofits, and creators can galvanize mass participation from citizens and create scalable impact to drive real change.” - Andrew Berkowitz, ValuesCo Co-Founder and CEO

Rideshare mega-app Lyft has also thrown its weight behind the cause. Aiming to make voting accessible to people of all backgrounds, Lyft Chief Policy Officer Jerry Golden contends that the campaign will play a key role in engaging younger generations to make their presence felt on Election Day.

"Lyft is proud to join ValuesCo for the Time to Vote campaign. This partnership reflects our commitment to be a force for good in communities across the country and ensure everyone has access to the polls. Together, we are driving, empowering and inspiring the next generation to engage in the civic process and make their voice heard." - Jerry Golden, Lyft Chief Policy Officer

The Time to Vote campaign goes live on the 7th of October, running until Election Day on November 5, 2024.