Nationwide effort helps increase public trust in elections
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 3, 2024 – NASCAR driver Garrett Smithley and the Vet the Vote Coalition are partnering with Alpha Prime Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway to encourage Americans to vote, to volunteer to support elections, and support those who do.
Through the sponsorship of Smithley and the #45 Chevrolet, Vet the Vote will raise awareness among NASCAR fans that when they vote this fall, a significant percentage of volunteers running election polling sites will be veterans and military family members.
Experts estimate America needs more than 875,000 election poll volunteers to make sure citizens can vote in all 50 states and territories this fall, and to date, the Vet the Vote Coalition has recruited more than 140,000 election poll workers from the veteran and military family community for the 2024 elections.
Still, many counties need more poll workers to handle early voting and to administer in-person voting on Election Day. “Our American system of self government is driven by elections, and elections are driven by volunteers,” said Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of Vet the Vote.
“We are very proud of the efforts of the Vet the Vote team and our 38 coalition partners, and we are exceptionally fired up about partnering with NASCAR’s Garrett Smithley.”
“My grandfathers are both veterans, so this one is really special to me” said Smithley when asked about his involvement. “And NASCAR fans are so patriotic – it feels like we’re a sport that really stands behind veterans and tries to recognize them as much as we can. I’m proud to represent Vet the Vote to make sure every precinct has enough volunteers to run the polls, and to make sure every American can vote with confidence.”
Smithley recently signed a multi-race deal with Alpha Prime Racing, debuting at Indianapolis earlier this season. The partnership with Vet the Vote will have the former NASCAR Cup Series driver team up with military veterans and family volunteers to help spread the word through in-person events at NASCAR races, social media, podcasts, and interviews with local press.
Voters can find Smithley piloting Vet the Vote No. 45 in the Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, Saturday, September 7th at 3 PM ET on USA Network.
About Vet the Vote:
Vet the Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan nation-wide public awareness campaign whose mission is to recruit the next generation of election poll workers and help increase public trust in elections.
To date, the 38 member coalition has recruited more than 140,000 military veterans and military family members to ensure every qualified voter has the opportunity to vote.
About Alpha Prime Racing:
Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team based in Mooresville, NC owned and operated by NASCAR Drivers Tommy Joe Martins and Caesar Bacarella.
Formed in 2021, the organization has scored two top-five’s and six top-10 finishes while developing a diverse group of young stars such as Rajah Caruth, Sage Karam, Julia Landauer, Brad Perez, Leland Honeyman, Jr. and Stefan Parsons.
Veteran drivers Ryan Ellis and Brennan Poole compete full time for the team in 2024.
Source: Alpha Prime Racing
