Michelle Obama Announces Role In Midterm Elections—But Won't Be Campaigning For Democrats

Michelle Obama will be playing a role in the upcoming midterm elections this November by helping people around the country register to vote.

The former first lady will be working alongside the nonprofit When We All Vote on the nonpartisan initiative, which is to be launched Thursday. The collaboration will feature many celebrities, such as Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor Tom Hanks and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

A video on the nonprofit's website features Obama talking to Miranda and NBA star Chris Paul about getting voters registered. In the clip, she tells Miranda that "if we really want our voices to be heard, we need to vote in every election, not just for president but for every office: school board, statehouse, Senate, all of them."

Obama also tweeted about her involvement in the cause, writing that in her family "voting was a sacred responsibility, one which we never took for granted."

In my family, voting was a sacred responsibility, one which we never took for granted. I’m excited to be a part of @WhenWeAllVote to inspire and empower all eligible voters to make their voices heard. #WhenWeAllVote, we can make history. https://t.co/cBTTn9Q5Lf https://t.co/6d5UT4gg9k

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) July 19, 2018

The announcement came as the Democratic Party tries to flip congressional seats across the country during November's election in an attempt to take back at least some control in Washington.

A boost in voter registration nationwide could help the Democrats. A recent study found that there are 12 million more registered Democrats than Republicans in the United States.

After the 2016 election, Democrats introduced their strongest platform yet on voting rights, which was aimed at registering 50 million new voters. The plan included legislation that would make it easier and cheaper for people to go through the process.

But many Democrats were hoping that the former first lady would lend more of a helping hand on the campaign trail. Obama remains extremely popular among liberals—even more so than her husband. According to one Gallup poll, she left the White House in 2017 with a 68 percent favorability rating. According to marketing and data analytics company YouGov, she is the seventh most popular public figure in the United States.

And while she hasn't said directly that she won't campaign for individual Democratic candidates, she has not scheduled any endorsement events and has remained largely silent on political issues since leaving the Oval Office.

Obama's press team did not respond to requests for comment about her plans.

When she does speak out, she often does so against Donald Trump. She once compared the president to a neglectful parent who allows people to "stay up late and not follow the rules." In another slam against the Trump administration, she quoted a tweet posted by former first lady Laura Bush condemning the White House's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. Commenting on the post, Obama wrote that "sometimes truth transcends party."

Sometimes truth transcends party. https://t.co/TeFM7NmNzU

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 18, 2018

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Alexandra Hutzler is currently a staff writer on Newsweek's politics team. Prior to joining Newsweek in summer 2018, she was ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go