The midterm elections in the United States are coming in just one month on November 8th. So once again a group of stars from across the Star Trek franchise are joining forces to help recruit “Starfleet” volunteers to help with election integrity with the non-partisan group Trek the Vote.
Trek the Vote 2022
Formed ahead of the 2020 election, Trek the Vote works to provide volunteers with a wide range of partner organizations to support voting rights, improve election transparency, and help election administrators meet their staffing needs.
For 2022 Trek the Vote is partnering with Common Cause, Fair Count, Center for Common Ground, Power to the Polls, Pizza to the Polls, and Scrutineers to match Star Trek fans with volunteer opportunities via Trek the Vote’s website. Depending on responses to a short questionnaire, volunteers will have the opportunity to be trained as poll workers; conduct informational voter outreach; monitor social media to report disinformation; identify and report voter intimidation at the polls; address accessibility needs at polling places; answer questions from voters who are having trouble understanding their rights; and deliver food and water to voters waiting in line to vote in-person.
A number of Star Trek celebrities are supporting and helping Trek the Vote for 2022. A few of them can be seen in this recruitment video which greets visitors to the official site.
Trekkies can help make votes count
Star Trek celebrities involved with the project include Star Trek: Voyager stars Kate Mulgrew, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, and Robert Duncan McNeill; TNG stars Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, and John de Lancie; DS9’s Chase Masterson and Andy Robinson; and Discovery’s Wilson Cruz and Anthony Rapp.
“Star Trek fans are a wonderful group,” said Kate Mulgrew (Voyager, Prodigy) in a statement. “They’re intelligent, dedicated, and unafraid to care passionately about the future. I can’t think of a better way for them to use that energy than making sure that our democracy functions smoothly. I hope they all sign up for Trek the Vote.” (Captain Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy)
Organized by Trekkies Organizing for Fair and Equitable Elections (TOFFEE), this year the project includes a panel discussion on October 9 on restoring public confidence in elections featuring Star Trek Voyager’s Tim Russ in conversation with election security and transparency experts from Trek the Vote partner Scrutineers. CLICK HERE for more about the Russ event.
Georgia-based voting rights group Fair Count is organizing a phone bank on October 20 featuring Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Duncan McNeill that will reach out to underserved and underrepresented voters in the state of Georgia. Fore more info on that event CLICK HERE.
“In an election year as crucial as 2022, voting is not enough,” says Scrutineers’ Executive Director, Emily Levy. “In addition to voter registration, get out the vote drives, and working the polls, we need thousands of volunteers to show up and observe the vote counting. Star Trek fans are detail-oriented, care passionately about the future, and respect the expertise of election professionals – which makes them great candidates for this work.”
For more information and details on all the volunteer opportunities visit the official Trek the Vote website.
Keep up with Star Trek celebrity news at TrekMovie.
That video was great! I always love to see Trek actors encourage others to be part of the political process! It’s important more than ever for people to vote and stop some of the craziness that has went on in the last two years. America is not a perfect country by any means but we never had to worry about the peaceful transfer of power until very recently unfortunately. Not to mention losing an amendment that affects an entire sex of the population. So please vote!!
What amendment was lost?
Sorry, should’ve said a right was lost, not an amendment.
Frakes looks like he’s lost weight.
Definitely going to do early voting at the end of this month.
Very nice. Grateful for their video. We all need to get out and vote. Live Long and Prosper!
🖖🏽🖖🏾🖖🖖🏻🖖🏿
Bless them for doing this!
I hope Mr. Frakes is okay; he’s looking a lot less hearty than he was.
I think Frakes just got in fighting trim for Picard season 3.
His face definitely looks slimmer. Hopefully, it’s his choice and not due to sickness.
I think that’s at least partially an effect of the bluescreen.
Completely agree that a robust turnout is critical this election.
Completely disagree that there was confusion about the last election. It was free and fair, the results were not in doubt.
This! Soooooooo this!
Well said, Phil.
While I really appreciate the sentiment, this video is embarrassingly bad. When others (for example, The West Wing cast) do these types of things, they do it so well! I mean, they’re all clearly reading their lines and they didn’t even all shoot it in the same orientation. Do better, Star Trek stars. Do better.
Why is it more important now than ever? Makes no sense. Now is no more important and last year. Or 10 years ago. Or 100 years ago.