Overview
- Kaepernick publicly revised his 2016 refusal to vote in his upcoming memoir and an NBC interview, with multiple outlets reporting the remarks on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
- He called his 2016 abstention 'irresponsible' and said the decision taught him that not voting can carry serious consequences for courts and policy.
- Kaepernick said he voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and for Kamala Harris in 2024, marking a clear change from his earlier stance against participating in electoral politics.
- He singled out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an inspiring leader who 'prioritizes the people’s needs' and whose approach could draw previously disengaged people into voting.
- Coverage of the memoir and interview is divided across outlets, with conservative sites and mainstream sports pages emphasizing the reversal and the political implications while commentators place the comments in the longer debate over athlete protest and the NFL’s treatment of Kaepernick.