Check out our 2025 fall programming lineup.

There is so much to look forward to this fall. Warm baked goods, sweaters, and lots of great free (and family-friendly) events from Cleveland VOTES. Like your favorite football team, we've got a great lineup. Keep scrolling to see what you can expect from us this election season. As always, we're centering #JoyInDemocracy.

1. National Voter Registration Day [September 16]

Cleveland VOTES and our partners celebrating National Voter Registration Day over the years.

This year Cleveland VOTES will be honoring National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) with a digital campaign highlighting Cleveland residents’ stories of their first time voting/registering to vote. The campaign is a part of the overarching theme for our Civic Holiday Season: "Cleveland's Civic Roots–Our Story, Our Power.” Oftentimes we get so caught up in where we are trying to go, we forget where we started. This campaign is intended to highlight where it all began for people. Think about the moment you registered or voted for the first time: how did it make you feel, what did it mean to you, and how has it impacted the way you show up in civics today? Instead of letting people tell you what your narrative is, you have the opportunity to tell your own story.

Held every year in September, this NVRD falls on Tuesday, September 16. For partners interested in hosting an in-person event for NVRD, Cleveland VOTES will be holding a planning workshop August 28th from 5:00 - 6:30pm. Interested partners can sign up via Eventbrite.  

For individuals interested in sharing their first time voting/registering story, please send your 2-3 min. videos to media@clevotes.com. The deadline to submit your video is September 9th by 7pm. For questions you can contact Gloria Craig at gloria@clevotes.com.

2. CarniVOTE [September 20]

Highlights from our 2024 CarniVOTE event.

This year marks the second year of our annual civic holiday event, CarniVOTE. The goal of CarniVOTE is to connect civic education and fun in a non-traditional yet effective way. An important component of this event is to reach voting-age individuals as well as their families. CarniVOTE is a space for adults and children to learn together, ask questions and build curiosity, and lay a foundation for generational conversations regarding civics and its impact on us and the broader world. Children are the next in line to be leaders, and starting the conversation and providing accurate information in interactive ways opens opportunities to imagine what type of world they would like to live in.

CarniVOTE will be held September 20, 2025 starting at 12pm. Attendees can expect fun interactive carnivals games with a civics twist, free food, prizes, and so much more. This is a family-friendly event, so we encourage you to bring the whole family for a day of fun, learning, and community! We'll provide more information as we approach our civic holiday season. 

3. Rally for the Culture [October 6-11]

Highlights from some of our Rally for Culture 2024 programming.

Cleveland VOTES is excited to bring back our Rally for the Culture Week of Action, October 6-11, 2025. Building upon our Civic Holiday theme, (Cleveland’s Civic Roots - Our Story, Our Power), we will lift up Cleveland’s deep historical civic and political roots but also celebrate our vibrant tapestry of changemakers. This week of action will blend digital engagement as well as a few in-person opportunities. A few details are still being finalized, but you can definitely anticipate a showcase from our More Than My Art participants and #MyStoryisRealBlack:The Trolley Tour. 

4. State of Our Democracy [October 17]

Special moments from our 2024 State of Our Democracy.

State of Our Democracy (SOOD) is an opportunity to share Cleveland VOTES updates as well as provide an overview of the current political landscape at the local and state level. We also celebrate our amazing partners during SOOD. We are fortunate to work with incredible democracy builders across Northeast Ohio, so we like to elevate what they have been working on.

We are currently still finalizing the theme for this year's SOOD event. So please stay tuned!

5. Vote Early Day [October 28]

The ability to vote early in every election makes elections a lot more accessible. So to honor Vote Early Day (October 28), we will be hosting a virtual screening of our upcoming Voting in the Land documentary on voting with a disability. Our generous volunteers who appear in the video share their voting challenges and triumphs and provide insight into how we can fight for voting spaces that accommodate all of us.

After the video, we will hold a discussion on voting accessibility and share additional resources. We encourage everyone to attend this free event, especially if you do any kind of voter outreach and/or education. 

6. Pull Up to the Polls [November 1]

Some of our favorite moments from our 2024 Pull Up to the Polls event.

We will also be celebrating early voting with our annual Pull Up to the Polls event. We aim to highlight the importance of art and its place within community collaboration.  The event will emphasize the importance of telling stories not just by spoken or written word, but through color and images. Pull Up to the Polls will be hosted on November 1st, 11:30am–2:00pm. The location is TBD. If you are planning to vote early we hope to see you there and encourage you to bring your family and friends! There will be free food, art, and a few community partners you might know. 

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