Gronkowski, Mayweather and Other Celebrities Appear Near New Hampshire Polling Places on Election Day
Former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski, boxer Floyd Mayweather, former NFL player Danny Amendola and former Boston Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis were spotted near polling places across New Hampshire on November 3, Election Day for the 2026 midterms. Local broadcaster WMUR received photographs and reports from voters showing the celebrities posing for pictures, signing items and encouraging people to vote. Turning Point-related signs were visible at some locations, but accounts differed over whether Gronkowski was formally taking part in the group's activity.
WMUR reported that Gronkowski was seen outside Bedford High School posing with voters and their families. Amendola appeared near Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, Mayweather was photographed outside Alvirne High School in Hudson, and Youkilis was spotted at a polling place in Hampstead. WMTW and WCVB carried WMUR's reporting and published photographs from the locations.
NBC Boston reported that Gronkowski told voters in Bedford that they should participate regardless of which party they support. He appeared with his longtime girlfriend, Camille Kostek, and spoke with New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte. CBS Boston also reported that Gronkowski posed for photographs and signed items for voters, with a tent bearing Turning Point USA branding nearby.
Some New Hampshire residents received text messages before Election Day that previewed celebrity appearances near polling locations. WMUR said the origin of the messages was not immediately clear. CNN had previously reported that Turning Point Action was making New Hampshire a focus of its midterm get-out-the-vote work, including its “Commit to Chase 100 Ballots” initiative aimed at contacting voters who are less likely to cast ballots.
The presence of Turning Point signs does not by itself establish that every celebrity was appearing on the organization's behalf. CBS Boston quoted a Turning Point spokesperson as saying Gronkowski was not with the group and had simply walked past its tent. The New England Signal, however, quoted a state representative who runs the group's New Hampshire turnout program as saying Gronkowski stopped at a Turning Point Action setup in Goffstown and posed with volunteers. The accounts are not identical, and Gronkowski had not publicly explained whether he had accepted an invitation from the organization.
New Hampshire law allows electioneering in designated areas outside polling places but prohibits it inside the polling-place building. It also requires local moderators to establish no-electioneering corridors at least 10 feet wide so voters can enter and leave without interruption. The law allows voters to approach people campaigning outside those corridors if they choose to do so. The available reports did not allege that the celebrity visits violated polling-place rules.
Such appearances are generally part of voter outreach rather than voting itself. A celebrity's presence can attract attention from voters and the media, but it does not automatically mean that person is endorsing a candidate. In his NBC interview, Gronkowski emphasized that people should vote regardless of party affiliation.
New Hampshire is a closely watched state in the 2026 midterms, with competitive Senate and statewide contests. Turning Point Action publicly recruits volunteers to contact voters and encourage turnout in states including Arizona, Nevada and New Hampshire. Celebrity appearances can give those efforts additional visibility, but the available evidence does not establish that each person was acting as an official surrogate for a candidate or had a formal endorsement arrangement with a political organization.
As of November 3, WMUR said it was still trying to determine the specific arrangements behind the visits and the source of the text messages. The confirmed part of the story is that several sports figures interacted with voters near polling locations. Whether they were participating in a formal political organization's get-out-the-vote operation requires further clarification from the people involved.