Frank Ocean Pop-Up Offers Free Merch to Voters in Miami Design District
JESSICA LIPSCOMBForty-two percent — that's how many eligible voters in the United States usually don't cast ballots.
It's a figure Frank Ocean wants to change. Tuesday, the notoriously reclusive singer made a surprise announcement that he was offering free merchandize in four major U.S. cities — including Miami — to anyone who could prove they had voted.
In Miami, Ocean's pop-up is located at 84 NE 39th St. in the Design District. His shirts and stickers carry the figure "42%," calling it "the largest political group in America." Volunteers at the site began with 1,000 shirts, most of which had been snapped up by Tuesday afternoon.
"We really want to encourage civic engagement in this time," said 23-year-old James Andrews, the lead organizer in Miami. "It’s important, especially for 18- to 24-year-olds, to get out and vote."
Andrews said the organizers are not officially affiliated with any political group, but the promotional material from Ocean says he chose Miami to support Andrew Gillum, who would be Florida's first black governor if elected.
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