Lucille Wenegieme: Democracy Defenders
Credit - Photo-Illustration by TIME; Rob Kim—Global Citizen/Getty Images
Lucille Wenegieme sees her job as a straightforward one: “We turn music fans into voters.”
That’s the mission statement of Headcount, which leverages the fan bases of some of the world’s biggest artists to get out the vote. In two decades, Headcount has grown from a small, grassroots initiative, best known for working with jam bands like the Grateful Dead, to a national outfit that regularly hosts voter-registration booths on the hottest tours, including those of Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, and Green Day.
Over the years, Headcount has helped register over 1 million voters. The group’s research finds that outreach has had a clear impact—78% of the young people Headcount engaged with in 2020 ended up voting in the election, Wenegieme says. “You’ll always for the rest of your life, no matter what election you vote in, remember that you got registered at this really great festival with your friends,” she says. “That creates a core memory that we know sticks with people.”
Wenegieme didn’t always see herself in a job so focused on voting. “I grew up in Colorado, and nobody I knew had been involved in politics or campaigns,” she says. After a stint working in the fashion industry, she shifted toward civic engagement—eventually working for the National Vote at Home Institute and the Denver clerk and recorder’s office. Though the transition meant a big learning curve, all of her work has involved young people and how they communicate. “I’ve always tried to be that person that’s thinking, How does this messaging [fit with] how people actually talk?”
She took over as Headcount’s executive director last year as it was working to expand its reach beyond music. Headcount now partners with Major League Baseball to register fans at ballparks. The group has also launched contests with brands like American Eagle and influencer Brittany Broski. When entering, fans are asked to check their voter-registration status via Headcount’s website.
In 2024, Wenegieme has an ambitious goal of registering 520,000 voters before Election Day. “The priority is getting as many young people as possible registered, and then getting them to vote,” she says. “That’s always our North Star.”
Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com.
