In a strategic move to engage younger voters, former President Barack Obama is taking to TikTok to promote voter registration. This initiative, part of a broader Democratic effort to reach millions of potential voters, is particularly focused on National Voter Registration Day. According to Axios, Obama conducted a series of interviews with Carlos Espina, a TikTok influencer with a massive following of 10.5 million, to encourage viewers to register and plan their Election Day participation.
Espina, known for his work with non-profits and his appearances with President Biden and Vice President Harris on the platform, is helping Obama tap into the traditional Democratic advantage among younger Americans. The campaign is directing viewers to IWillVote.com, a website dedicated to voter registration and information. This strategy aligns with the Harris-Walz campaign’s plan to target young voters with online and on-campus registration initiatives in key battleground states.
The use of TikTok by Obama and the Harris campaign comes amidst a complex legal landscape surrounding the platform. The US government is attempting to ban TikTok due to concerns over potential data security risks associated with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Attorneys for TikTok are fighting back, arguing the proposed ban is unconstitutional. This legal battle could have significant implications for the platform’s future in the US, especially as the mid-January deadline for TikTok to sever ties with ByteDance looms.
Despite these ongoing legal challenges, the Biden campaign and the Harris campaign have previously leveraged Obama’s influence to raise funds and boost their campaigns. The Harris campaign even utilized a portion of Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, which included a suggestive hand gesture, for a recent campaign video. It remains to be seen how the ongoing legal battles will impact TikTok’s role in the upcoming election and whether it will continue to be a platform for political campaigning in the US.
This news comes after a string of high-profile political figures, including President Biden and Donald Trump, have joined TikTok. Trump’s involvement in particular has been marked by controversial videos, such as his recent appearance at a UFC fight, which garnered attention and fueled discussion around his use of the platform.
