In a surprising move, atypical of its usual focus on sex and beauty, women’s magazine Cosmopolitan plans to send a “party bus” to North Carolina State University to shuttle college voters to the polls on Election Day next Tuesday.
For the first time in its more than 100-year history, the publication recently took on politics with its “#CosmoVotes” campaign in September, two months before the midterm elections. The initiative aims to encourage young women to vote and to endorse specific candidates with their issues in mind.
WATCH: Cosmopolitan has never done this before
The southern university won the bus — including models on board — which is the latest addition to the campaign.
“On Election Day, a bus decked out with snacks, swag, and models (hi, this is Cosmo) will roll up to North Carolina State University,” according to a post on Cosmopolitan.com.
Camden Willeford, a sophomore and associate director of publicity and communications for student government, entered the contest on behalf of the school.
“This election is not a light matter here in [North Carolina],” he wrote. “The weight is on the students of North Carolina State University.”
The magazine previously endorsed 10 Democratic candidates based on their views related to women’s equal pay, abortion, and contraception. They range from North Carolina’s Kay Hagan and Kentucky’s Alison Lundergan Grimes running for Senate, to Iowa’s Staci Appel and California’s Amanda Renteria campaigning in House races.
For half a century, women have outvoted men. In the 2012 election, they comprised the electorate — 53% of all voters. Since 1980, women have cast their ballots at a higher rate than men in presidential and midterm elections.
“It made sense for us, looking at the midterms where you see a pretty large drop off in terms of young women’s voting, to really push our readers to get out, go to the polls, and tell politicians that their voices matter and that their issues should be prioritized,” Jill Filipovic, senior political writer for Cosmopolitan.com, told msnbc’s “Krystal Clear” last month.
Cosmopolitan, commonly referred to as Cosmo, was first published in 1886 as a family magazine in the United States, then transformed to a literary magazine. It became a women’s magazine during the late 1960s, and is sold on newsstands around the world. The content usually focuses on relationships, sex, health, self-improvements, celebrities, fashion, beauty, and careers.
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Michele Richinick