Q&A: Actress Tracee Ellis Ross Says Everyone's 'Gotta Vote'

Star of 'Girlfriends' and 'Reed Between the Lines' hits the road for Obama on voter registration bus tour

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross took her infectious smile and laughter across the state of Ohio on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign. Ross,  of TV fame for the hit UPN sitcom "Girlfriends" and most recently of BET's "Reed Between the Lines," made several stops around the battleground state Monday to register voters ahead of today's deadline for the Nov. 6 election.

Ross spoke to Loop 21 about the importance of every voice and every vote in the 2012 election.

LOOP 21: Tell us about the bus tour. You all are racing toward a voter registration deadline in Ohio.

TRACEE ELLIS ROSS: Can we talk about the bus for a second? The bus is fantastic. [It’s] incredibly photogenic…the outside of the bus is painted… You drive by on the streets and you see people’s faces.

LOOP 21: So it’s definitely not a mangy commuter bus. What got you involved politically?

ROSS: It’s really [about] using my voice beyond just casting my vote… to speak up for the reelection of President [Barack] Obama. And in the name of democracy. And in the name of being an American citizen who can use my voice. And really [to] remind people why it’s important to vote and what some of the deadlines are. Ohio is incredibly important and that’s one of the reasons I was willing to, in the middle of my schedule, fly here. Not just do my part in my neighborhood, but extend my voice further than just Los Angeles.

LOOP 21: What’s been the response from people you’ve encountered on the ground there? You all visited a few college campuses [on Monday]. What have you been telling students?