Addressing a crowd of hundreds on the UNC quad on Friday, YouTube personality Tyler Oakley stressed the importance of early voting and the power of each vote — especially in a swing state like North Carolina.
"I'm sure you all know, probably more than I do, that there are people here that might not agree with you," he said. "And they are very eager to vote — just as eager as I hope you are."
He said North Carolina's early voting process makes it unique.
"And, the cool thing about North Carolina is you can go to vote, and register right there, early, as you're voting," he said. "So like, if you're not quite prepared, you can still bounce in and be like 'I'm here for Hillary,' or alternative — but not really."
Lady Gaga's new album, "Joanne," was also on Oakley's mind as he encouraged the audience to vote.
"It's so good — it's the perfect soundtrack for voting," he said.
Oakley said young people should embrace voting as a chance to have their voices heard and express their political opinions.
"If your friend is like, 'Ah, the polls are showing this thing, I don't need to go,' it's not how polls work. You really actually need to go so the polls are true when it actually happens," he said.
Neil Davis, a UNC student and volunteer at the event, said he hoped the event would bring more attention to the election and early voting by having a relatable figure talk to students.
