Rapper and University of Wisconsin alum Yung Gravy returned to Madison this Wednesday as a part of a nonpartisan organization’s voting campaign. Daybreaker’s nationwide “Party to the Polls Purple Tour” is aimed at encouraging people across the country to vote.
The event, which had an attendance of about 300, began with a performance by Yung Gravy at Liquid Madison. From there, Yung Gravy led attendees to Memorial Union to cast their ballots for early voting, which began in Madison on Tuesday.
At the polls, he met and took pictures with voters waiting in line and shook hands with poll workers, District 8 Alder and event co-host MGR Govindarajan said.
The event’s goal was to make voting easy and fun for college students, MGR said.
“In Wisconsin specifically, students hold all the power, especially at UW-Madison,” MGR said. “We’ve seen in the past several elections now that turnout at this campus is what makes or breaks the election for one party or another.”
Audrey Simon, a junior at UW who was in line to see Yung Gravy for the fourth time, said she’s one of his biggest fans and was hoping to meet him.
Simon added that she was glad to be able to change her registration from Minnesota, her home state, to Wisconsin to be able to vote in a swing state.
“It’s nice that I was able to have my registration here so I can make more of an impact with my vote, even though every vote has an impact,” Simon said.
During the performance, the DJ performing alongside Yung Gravy picked Simon out from the crowd to come on stage, where she helped him play music and hugged Yung Gravy.
“That was the craziest thing of my life,” Simon said after returning from the stage. “I’m actually gonna die. That is a dream come true.”
MGR said Yung Gravy’s fun music and past as a UW student allow students to feel connected to the event and help encourage them to vote.
“UW-Madison students carry a lot of power, and turning out that vote, making it easy, accessible and fun, I think that’s what really drives the point home that your power matters,” MGR said.
