NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Volunteers at NAACP branches across the country are pushing to get out the vote. Dozens of people spent the day reaching out to voters at the Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP.
The Get Out To Vote campaign kicked off Sunday, but the organization has been preparing for it all year long. It got more than 300 people to register to vote over the past year. Organizers have a message for all of them.
“It’s one thing to be registered but the other part is you actually have to go to the polls and to vote,” said Roxana Walker-Canton, Political Action Committee Chair for the Greater New Haven NAACP.
Volunteers spent the day getting that message out. They made phone calls and canvassed neighborhoods. They focused on areas that have had low voter turnout in previous years. Campaign organizers say more people are interested this year, however. They say movements like Black Lives Matter have had an impact.
“Those have politicized a lot of people who haven’t been politicized and definitely with the younger voters,” said Walker-Canton.
Volunteers handed out information or left it in mailboxes. They spent time talking with voters; some had already voted. They want to make sure everyone gets to the polls on Tuesday.
“Right now a lot of people think it’s not so important,” said Walker-Canton. “They don’t know that their vote really counts.”
They’ll be helping voters get to the polls by providing rides. Volunteers are also gathering information from voters about what issues are important to them. They’re looking to use it to help them past Election Day.
“It’s going to be used to help us be able to go out into the community and listen a little bit more to their concerns,” said Jeffie Frazier, who was in the office working to get out the vote.
Volunteers will be working Monday and Tuesday and they’re hoping more will join them to help them reach out to voters.
