Jimmy Kimmel will do whatever it takes to get out the vote—including calling in a favor to Oprah Winfrey.
Tuesday, September 17 marked National Voter Registration Day, and the host recognized the occasion on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“Today is the thirteenth—and possibly final—National Voter Registration Day,” Kimmel said in his monologue, noting that only about two-thirds of Americans voted in the last election.
“Is anyone else here not registered to vote yet?” he asked his studio audience. A woman named Bella admitted she was not, despite having reached voting age more than a year ago.
“If you’re here, you obviously have free time,” Kimmel joked. “What needs to happen? Are you waiting for Oprah to walk out and give you a formal invitation to vote?”
That’s when Winfrey made a surprise entrance.
“Did somebody say Oprah?” she shouted as she was greeted with a standing ovation. Kimmel then brought Bella up so that Winfrey could walk her through the (very simple) registration process.
“Nineteen. It’s time,” Winfrey told her. “You’ve stepped into this powerful privilege of voting. Here’s your opportunity.”
Winfrey handed Bella a tablet to register on the spot via I am a voter. Unsurprisingly, Oprah’s presence seemed to do the trick.
“I’m convinced,” Bella said upon coming face-to-face with the talk show legend.
Oprah to the Rescue: When a member of Jimmy Kimmel's audience Tuesday night confessed she hadn't yet registered to vote, Oprah Winfrey emerged from the wings to help her. pic.twitter.com/Bvjw42PnUN
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) September 18, 2024
Winfrey wasn’t scheduled as an interview guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, though her appearance was announced as a “special guest” in the show’s opening titles.
Kimmel wasn’t the only host to recognize National Voter Registration Day. On Monday, Jimmy Fallon encouraged viewers to register to vote while displaying a QR code for HeadCount. On Tuesday night, Seth Meyers shared a link with his Late Night audience to sign up, also via HeadCount (which is the same group The Daily Show has partnered with for its InDogCision 2024 events).
