Peanuts Rock the Vote Giveaway & Nikki DeLoach Interview

Unless you’re Rip Van Winkle and just waking up from a twenty year slumber, you know that the world of politics is a little crazy right now. I want to talk to you about something related to the election, but bear with me – I promise I’m not here to promote a candidate or get into partisan debate.

You know we’re Peanuts Ambassadors and proud of it, so I’m always happy to tell you about what the Peanuts gang is up to. And right now, Snoopy and his friends are rocking the vote.

Rock the Vote is an initiative and non-profit organization founded in 1990, and I bet you’ve heard of it. Their mission is to make sure everyone registers to vote, because they know how important every vote really is. Hint: it’s incredibly important. It’s so easy to get disillusioned with Presidential elections, but it’s crucial to remember that we aren’t just voting for a new President in November; we’re also voting for members of Congress, state representatives, and city and county leaders.  Change begins with each of us and the power we have in deciding who goes into those offices at the end of the day.

What does this have to do with Peanuts?

Peanuts and Rock the Vote have teamed up this year to make sure that everyone gets out there to vote on Election Day. Politics has been a recurring theme in the Peanuts comics for decades now; you probably remember creator Charles Schulz featuring some of the characters running for president during election years, and of course there’s the You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown TV special from 1972. Schulz believed in our democratic system and so do we, so we’re happy to help our Peanuts friends register voters.

You can get started at the Peanuts Rock the Vote website, where you’ll find a mock election in progress. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, and Franklin all want your vote! You can click each character to learn about them and their election platform, and when you’re ready to make your decision, tick the box and vote for your favorite. Around here we love Linus, and his platform of improving education about the Great Pumpkin and stronger defense against bossy big sisters won us over. Linus for President!

Once you cast your vote, you can explore the Campaign Store (where you can get fun Peanuts Election 2016 merchandise), print coloring pages for kids, and, of course, register to vote (for real).

Quite a few celebrities have endorsed the Peanuts Rock the Vote initiative, including Nikki DeLoach from the TV show Awkward. In an interview with Nikki, she discussed the importance of voting, shared some of the Peanuts election crafts and educational materials available on the website, and even talked about some of the election-themed exhibits currently on display at the Schulz Museum.

Tell us about the Peanuts Rocks the Vote campaign.

This is a partnership between Peanuts and Rock the Vote, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that’s been encouraging and helping young people to register to vote since 1990. When you go to Peanuts Rocks the Vote dot com, you’ll find a mock presidential election going on among the Peanuts characters: Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, and Franklin. You can read their bios and their platforms, and then you can vote for your favorite.

Then, right there on the website, there’s a button that says “Register,” and when you click on that, Rock the Vote will help you register to vote in your location.

And why is Peanuts doing this?

Politics has been a recurring theme in the Peanuts comic strip for decades—Charles Schulz often had the characters running for president during actual presidential election years. He even had Lucy talking about wanting to be the first female president!

So Schulz believed in our democratic system, and Peanuts wanted to play their part by helping people register to vote. But of course, they do it with a unique Peanuts flair!

In addition, there are educational materials for teachers and activities for kids grades K through 8. Can you describe in more detail?

Yes, there are materials that provide a fun way to get children involved with the issues of elections, campaign promises, polling, and candidate platforms.

The curriculum specialists at Young Minds Inspired created three lesson-planning guides for grades Kindergarten through 2 nd grade; three through five, and six through eight. Copies are going out to thousands of schools nationwide. There’s also a DVD of the Peanuts television special, You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown that parents and teachers can use as a fun teaching tool about elections.

And finally, I know the Schulz Museum has two special election-themed exhibits on display right now. Can you talk about those?

Yes, and they sound so great! One is called Snoopy Presents: Lucky Dogs and Presidential Pets, and it features photos and fun facts
about presidential pets. The exhibit goes all the way back to George Washington’s hunting hounds and Thomas Jefferson’s riding horses, and it also includes presidential pets you probably never heard about, like President John Quincy Adams’ pet alligator, who lived in the White House in an unfinished East Room bathtub!

There’s a great display on John F. Kennedy’s dog, Pushinka, who was a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev. The dog’s mother, Strelka, flew aboard Sputnik 5 and landed safely back on Earth.

The other exhibition is called Mr. Schulz Goes to Washington, which focuses on the intersection of politics with Charles Schulz and Peanuts. You can see some of Schulz’s correspondence with several American presidents, including a 1980 letter from Ronald Reagan, who was then in the middle of his own presidential campaign. Reagan jokingly wrote, “Anything you can do to talk Snoopy out of running will be appreciated. How would he feel about a cabinet post?”

Nikki also filmed a PSA:

The 2016 election is Tuesday, November 8^th, but make sure to sort out your voter registration in advance. Rules are a bit different in every state, as are registration deadlines (usually mid-October), so now is the time to make sure everything is in order. Most states have methods of checking your voter registration status online, and if you’re not registered you can print forms online and mail them in, or pick them up in person at most public libraries, county election commission offices, county clerk’s offices, and other local government departments.

Before you go, one more important thing: we’re hosting a Peanuts giveaway!  One lucky person will win a Peanuts Rock the Vote t-shirt, a copy of the You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown DVD, and a copy of the Snoopy for President book. That’s quite a prize pack!

Head over to PeanutsRockTheVote.com now to pick your favorite Peanuts candidate and get started on your voter registration, and enter to win the giveaway below.  Giveaway is open to US residents who are 18 and older.  Ends 10/13/16.  Good luck!