As cars raced around the track at the NASCAR Cup Series in Michigan last weekend, members of the Vet the Vote campaign deployed out among race fans and registered veterans and their family members to volunteer as poll workers in November’s election.
The race was the first in which NASCAR partnered with Vet the Vote, a campaign run by the non-profit group We the Veterans, which recruits military-connected individuals to work at election sites.
As of Monday, the group had recruited more than 140,000 veterans and their family members to work the polls later this year.
NASCAR and Vet the Vote announced their partnership Saturday ahead of the Cup Series race. In partnering with Vet the Vote, NASCAR is joining other large brands that already support the campaign, including the National Football League, Microsoft and Walmart.
Staffing polling places is an urgent mission, and veterans are uniquely qualified to help, group members say.
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All told, about 1 million temporary workers will be needed to staff polling locations across the country this November, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those workers welcome and check in voters, issue ballots and explain how to use voting equipment.
Having veterans and their family members perform those tasks lends credibility to the process and helps quash skepticism during a time when public trust in the government is low, according to We the Veterans.
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“NASCAR is honored and humbled to count thousands of military veterans as NASCAR fans and we’re encouraging them to consider once again serving their country this election season as poll workers,” Eric Nyquist, NASCAR’s chief impact officer, said in a statement. “We are committed to doing our part to help address the critical shortage of poll workers in this country, so we’re proud to support Vet the Vote and its vital mission this fall.”
Widespread misinformation about the voting process first prompted We the Veterans to recruit veterans and their families to work the polls in 2022. That year, the group recruited 63,500 people.
Experts are again tracking rampant misinformation and disinformation about the upcoming presidential election, designed to encourage Americans to question the validity and integrity of the voting process. To continue its goal of bolstering confidence about elections, We the Veterans launched a renewed “Vet the Vote” campaign in February, and in July surpassed its goal of recruiting 100,000 people.
Ellen Gustafson, the founder of We the Veterans, said at the time the group would continue signing up as many veterans and family members as it could. Many jurisdictions start training poll workers this month for the presidential election and cease recruiting by September or early October, Vet the Vote’s director, Dan Vallone, said.
NASCAR said it has increased its support of veterans organizations since launching its social responsibility platform in 2023. In addition to Vet the Vote, NASCAR is supporting career mentorship and mental health programs for veterans.
“We’re proud to have a great American institution like NASCAR as a partner and look forward to collaborating with them in the future to support our elections,” Gustafson said Saturday.
This story was produced in partnership with Military Veterans in Journalism. Please send tips to MVJ-Tips@militarytimes.com.
Nikki Wentling covers disinformation and extremism for Military Times. She's reported on veterans and military communities for eight years and has also covered technology, politics, health care and crime. Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others.
