?Vote or die !? This pretty harsh message is not very shocking in the heart of luminous Times Square, on a Saturday afternoon, as activists of all kinds are trying to catch the attention of a cosmopolitan crowd. But those three words, in blue and red, are not hand-written on a banner lifted by a far-left militant. They are printed on a white t-shirt and worn very tight by US glamour singer Mariah Carrey, on an ad in the window of ?Planet Hollywood?. Quite down-to-earth for a brand that sells glossy dreams and Hollywood sparkle all over the world.

Those t-shirts, sold in this store and nationwide, are made by ?Citizen change?, a non-profit making and non-partisan organization, founded by Sean Comb, best know as agitated rap singer Puff Daddy (or P.Diddy). Recycled into textiles he created his own brand ? Sean John ? and recently decided to get involved in a new battle : to get the 42 million americans aged 18 to 30 to cast ballots on November 2nd.

People under 25 have the lowest turnout at the polls in the United States. And despite many awareness campaigns, half of the people aged 18 to 24 are still not registered to vote.

As he explains on his website, Puff Daddy is trying ?to make voting hot, sexy and relevant to a generation that has not reached full participation in the political process?. And he has recruited some other youth idols, such as the rappers Jay-Z and Fifty Cents, the comedians Leonardo Di Caprio and Drew Barrymore who help him to pass on the message. On the other hand, the motto, ?Vote or die?, is there to remind young people that the harsh conditions of life in their communities will get worse if they do not vote to express their will for change.

?Citizen change? is not the only one in this field. ?Rock the vote? (RTV), also a non-partisan and non-profit making organization, has been expending its energy on registering new young voters for almost fifteen years. By organizing concerts, media campaigns and street team activities, RTV, that is sup- ported by many famous artists such as Norah Jones, Lauryn Hill, Madonna or Will Smith, has managed to register more than three million new voters.

If those organizations claim to be non-partisan, the ?vote for change tour? does not hide its preferences. It brings together more than 20 artists, included Buce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt, who will give concerts in 9 ?swing states? in October to try to convince the young and the less young that they have to cast ballots against Bush. And the money raised will actually go to ?America coming together?, a group working to defeat Bush.

The stakes are high. Those 42 million eligible people could make the difference. Let?s hope they will vote. And make the right choice.