WASHINGTON, DC – Today Hip Hop Caucus announced the 2026 Respect My Vote campaign on the non-partisan campaign’s 18 year anniversary. Respect My Vote is the largest and longest running Hip Hop voter campaign, having mobilized young BIPOC voters in every election cycle since 2008 through the power of the culture, celebrity, media and grassroots organizing. In its 18th year, Hip Hop Caucus is engaging Gen Z and Millennial voters who are activated but weary from attacks on their rights and freedoms.

Through Respect My Vote, Hip Hop Caucus will translate cultural reach into civic participation this fall. The campaign is set to reach 20 million people through culture, media, partnerships, events, trainings, and digital engagement; mobilize 500,000 voters to the polls; make 4.5 million voter contacts, and generate 175,000 online voter registrations, voter pledges, and registration checks. Hip Hop Caucus will announce 2026 Respect My Vote artists and celebrity spokespeople over the course of the campaign. 

“18 years ago we said we wouldn’t stop until every vote was respected, especially the votes of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and all underserved communities. We meant it then, and we mean it now,” says Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus. “Today we are in a defining moment as to whether our communities will be able to build healthy, sustainable and prosperous futures via democracy. Voter education, registration, mobilization and voter protection are the foundations of people power, and Respect My Vote is all about powering the people to the polls and beyond,” he adds. 

On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais fully gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA),  eliminating the last meaningful federal guardrails protecting multiracial democracy in America. This explicit attack on Black communities, — as well as all those previously protected by the VRA, including Latino voters and all voters of color, elderly voters, non-English speakers, and people with disabilities — has energized voters. (1) Gen Z are activated to fight for their freedoms, but are less motivated to stand up for American democracy than older generations. (2) Respect My Vote embraces Gen Z attitudes and promotes voting as a tool for justice and community-driven solutions.

Since its launch in 2008, Respect My Vote has registered and educated hundreds of thousands of voters across the country, and has built one of the most trusted, culturally rooted civic engagement campaigns in American history. With its pulse on young voters, Hip Hop Caucus is positioned to meet Gen Z where they are. This is critical because Black Gen Z voters, who are as likely as their peers to want to vote and value voting, report more barriers to voting including information, transportation and registration challenges, than their non-Black peers. (3)

“Respect My Vote empowers communities to demand the world they want. It is a demand that those running for office — and those already in it — respect our votes for livable, healthy, safe, and affordable communities. The work doesn’t end after Election Day — in fact, that’s when it really begins. Communities trust Respect My Vote because at Hip Hop Caucus, we mobilize voters and work on the issues that shape people’s everyday lives, year-round,” said Aura Vasquez, Senior Director of Campaigns & Advocacy, Hip Hop Caucus

Here’s a look at some of Respect My Vote campaign’s highlights over 18 years: 

• In 2008, the campaign set a world record at the time of registering more than 32,000 voters in a single day across 16 cities, powered by a national broadcast partnership with Radio One.
• In 2012, Respect My Vote educated audiences with segments every Tuesday for a year on BET’s 106 & Park.
• In 2016, Respect My Vote ensured young voters were educated on key issues and voted in down ballot races, via a nationally streamed townhall with Complex filmed at YouTube’s studios, and a Teen Vogue essay penned by Keke Palmer.
• In 2020, over 100,000 people attended the national Respect My Vote summit virtually during the pandemic.
• In 2021, after prominently featuring celebrities with felony records in every election cycle to educate people with felony records about their right to vote, Hip Hop Caucus launched a 50 state and U.S. Territories online tool to know your voting rights if you have a felony record.
• In 2024, the campaign surpassed its voter registration goal by nearly three times — registering more than 67,000 voters and collecting more than 50,000 voter pledges.
• The campaign has partnered with some of the most influential artists and cultural voices of the last two decades; from T.I., Charlamagne tha God, Keke Palmer, Common, Ciara, 2 Chainz, Angela and Vanessa Simmons, to Vic Mensa and dozens more, recognizing that artists, creatives, athletes, and cultural influencers are among of the most trusted messengers for young voters.

For media inquiries, contact  media@hiphopcaucus.org. Learn more and get involved at respectmyvote.com and follow @hiphopcaucus to join the movement. 

1 Democracy Findings: “Attacks on Black political power are activating Black voters, who appear more likely to take action to defend Black freedom and voting rights than to defend American democracy. Black voters believe it is very urgent for them to take action to defend freedom (75%), voting rights (71%) and racial justice (71%). 75% of Black voters say they are willing to take 3 or more political actions compared to 62% in October 2025.” The State of Black Opposition and Engagement in 2026, HIT Strategies Black Opps Project

2 Democracy Findings: “Black Gen Z are less likely than Boomers to fight for freedom (-9 pp) and racial justice (-11 pp), but Black Gen Z are MUCH less likely to fight for American democracy (-31 pp) or the right to vote (-26 pp). 56% of Black Gen Z believe they do not have to defend democracy because it has not worked for us, compared to just 22% of Black Boomers.”  The State of Black Opposition and Engagement in 2026, HIT Strategies Black Opps Project

3 The 50 Million: Gen Z’s Power, Priorities, and Participation, The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University and When We All Vote

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About Hip Hop Caucus (hiphopcaucus.org) 

Hip Hop Caucus began as a movement in 2004, and is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, Hip Hop Caucus addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. Hip Hop Caucus programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.