Singer K'naan needs you to vote on his behalf in the U.S. midterm elections

You likely know K'naan Warsame for his FIFA World Cup anthem "Waving Flag" and his role on The Hamilton Mixtape track, "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done.)" Now, he's asking American citizens to vote on his behalf in the upcoming elections.

Though the Canadian-Somali singer and poet lives and works in New York, he's a Canadian citizen and his family still resides in Toronto, which means he's facing challenges as a result of the Trump administration's travel ban.

So he released a powerful video plea in partnership with The Love Vote, a nonprofit organization that aims to give the 50 million people like K'naan — who are unable to vote in the U.S. due to circumstances like age, citizenship status, or disenfranchisement — a space for their voices to be heard.

In the video, K'naan, who serves as one of the Love Vote's Creative Advisors, explains that though he is a Canadian citizen with the right to vote in Canada, he says he never took part in the process because he "never really felt connected" to the candidates he saw on TV.

Now that he's working in New York amidst the changing U.S. immigration laws, he says understands the immense weight that each individual vote carries and wishes he could take part in the U.S. midterm elections.

"I'm thinking about how to go back [to Canada,]" the singer says in the video, following a June Supreme Court ruling in favor of President Trump's third proposed travel ban — which has the power to restrict entry into the United States from people from seven countries: Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela, and North Korea.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"I had bought a little chessboard for my kids who like chess. My two little boys they're 11 and 13 and so I want to take back this chessboard to Toronto but the immigration ban happens and I'm really worried that I won’t be able to come back to New York where my apartment is," the singer continues. "I call my immigration lawyer and she confirms my fears and says, 'Do not leave because you probably won’t be allowed back.'"

"That was the first time I thought, 'God, I really wish I could vote.' It really makes me think about this idea that someone could cast a vote for you as this incredibly generous, thoughtful idea."

With these personal videos, the Love Vote's hope is that individual stories will inspire people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. After visiting personal pages and watching each person's video, visitors can virtually promise to vote on behalf of an individual with the simple click of a button.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"Now I’m asking for you, if you can vote, to vote for someone on my behalf, who wants to vote so desperately now," K'naan said. "Cast a vote to affect this process that affects so directly my own life. If you could cast a vote on my behalf and you believe in the work that I do I would really love that."

To get involved with the Love Vote's initiative, you can become a "Mover" by sharing your own personal story to encourage others to vote on your behalf, pledge to help as a voter, or donate to the organization to help share more stories.

As of today, 1,071 love votes have been promised.

You can watch K'naan's full video, along with others, here.