Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco [ tickets ] is taking a short break from the road as she prepares to launch her Vote Dammit Tour, a fall outing that aims to motivate progressive, young voters to register and cast their ballots.

The outing, which launches in Pennsylvania on Sept. 10 and runs for nearly a month, will visit venues in so-called "swing states," where the November election results are expected to be closely split between President George W. Bush and his Democratic opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry.

Singer/songwriter Dan Bern [ tickets ] is scheduled to open most shows. Bern recently released an eight-song EP titled "My Country II," which he describes on his website as "music to beat Bush by"--a sentiment directly stated on the track "Bush Must Be Defeated."

Comic Margaret Cho will co-headline with DiFranco in three cities, and comic Suzanne Westenhoefer appears on several other dates. Indigo Girls are scheduled to make special appearances in three cities; details are in the itinerary below.

Former Democratic presidential candidates Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich are expected to speak at some shows, but organizers didn't announce specific dates.

The Vote Dammit outing was organized in conjunction with the Feminist Majority Foundation's Get Out Her Vote campaign, which focuses on college-age women. Together, DiFranco and the group plan to team with local organizations at each stop along the tour in an effort to encourage audience members to register and vote. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold will be donated to these local organizations, according to a press release.

DiFranco's latest studio set is "Educated Guess," which surfaced in January. Her Righteous Babe label's website recently began selling a live CD that she recorded last October during a performance in Atlanta.