MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Voter turnout is critical in battleground states like Wisconsin, and one Milwaukee organization found a unique way to encourage civic engagement: handing out free pizza.

One MKE and Pizza to the Polls held a non-partisan event on Sunday, Aug. 18 at three Milwaukee beaches, offering pizza, snacks and live music to promote civic engagement.

Organizers aimed to boost participation in local and state elections.

"I think we've seen trends that the city of Milwaukee, turnout varies, I think we lag behind the rest of the state in terms of voter turnout, and so events like this are really about showing people that civic engagement matters," said Wyatt Tinder, vice president of marketing and communications for NEWaukee.

While attendees couldn't register to vote at Sunday's beach parties, they could sign a "voting pledge" and learn about upcoming November elections.