Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor just in time for election season

DURHAM, N.C. -- Ben & Jerry's is tackling the upcoming summer season with a new ice cream flavor and a not-so-new challenge: preserving the nation's democracy.

The company is launching its newest flavor, Empower Mint, with a new campaign called "Democracy Is In Your Hands."

"We're here today with Reverend Barber and many others to stand up for the right to participate in our democracy, a right that so many people fought and died for. Since our country's inception, many brave Americans have battled to expand voting rights and voter access for African Americans, for women, and young people, but the recent passage of restrictive policies in North Carolina takes our country backwards," said Ben Cohen, co-founder of the ice cream company, at an event in Durham on Tuesday.

The company says the Democracy Is In Your Hands campaign is a yearlong effort focused on getting fans and citizens alike to take a stand in support of democracy that truly represents the needs of all Americans. The campaign will engage hundreds of thousands of Americans around an evolving set of calls to action, including Voting Rights Act reauthorization and voter registration. 

The new Empower Mint flavor brings the campaign to life in freezer cases around the country. The flavor is a creamy peppermint ice cream laden with fudge brownies and fudge swirls. It can be found at retailers nationwide.