When it comes to getting out the vote for the midterm election, campaigns are focusing on those who are eligible to cast ballots.
But Esther de Rothschild, a former New York City school teacher, is turning that idea on its head, focusing instead on those who cannot vote.
Back in 2017, Rothschild founded "The Love Vote," a non-profit organization, after witnessing firsthand how frustrated young people were with the adults in their lives who were staying home on Election Day. One year later, her idea has quickly caught on, just in time for the midterms.
WHAT IS THE "LOVE VOTE"?
"The Love Vote is a platform for the 50 million Americans who can't vote, either because they are too young, not U.S. citizens, or disenfranchised," Rothschild said. "Those non-voters share their stories, and they move other people to vote on their behalf. So it's like crowdfunding, but instead of raising funds, they're raising votes."
WHAT DOES THE "LOVE VOTE" LOOK LIKE IN ACTION?
Aicha Cherif and Darlene Pompa are best friends. Aicha is 17 and can't vote. Darlene is 18. She can and says she will, for her friend.
"Movers" like Aicha make videos and ask people, or "love voters" like Darlene, to promise to go to the polls.
"I'm excited for the midterm elections, and I'm not going to vote," Aicha said. "I'm excited because Darlene's going to be voting for me, or other people in my school or [my] teachers, and I think that what we're trying to do is turn voting into a communal act."
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE PROMISES TO VOTE?
"When someone promises to vote, we send them information they might need about their polling place, a non-partisan voter guide, and sometimes that's what someone needs to show up on Election Day," Rothschild said.
There's also the all-important "Love Vote" sticker.
"We send you four stickers and we ask that on Election Day you send us a picture of yourself with one of those stickers," Rothschild said.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS?
So far, several thousand "Love Voters" have pledged to cast their ballots on behalf of others.
More than 200 people have pledged to vote for Aicha as part of the "Love Vote."
WHY DID ROTHSCHILD FOUND THE "LOVE VOTE"?
"[My students] were frustrated that they were too young to vote and a lot of adults in their lives didn't even use that opportunity to vote," Rothschild said. "And I just thought of the power of all the people who can't vote to actually increase voter turnout through love [by] getting the people who love them to show up on their behalf. We really see voting as an act of love."
"Before the 'Love Vote,' I constantly felt like I didn't have a say in what was happening and I think that the people around me promising me to vote, makes me feel like we are in this together," Aicha said.