The NAACP will have a significant presence in Georgia in the closing days to the midterm election, the group’s president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement to CNN.
“Americans need to go out and vote. The NAACP is nonpartisan, but we’re not blind. And we recognize just how much is at stake in this election,” Johnson said.
The areas of concern are reproductive rights, student loan cancelation, lowering the cost of healthcare and the future of American democracy, he said.
The CEO said he will attend a number of church events Sunday as part of an effort to reach Black voters.
NAACP attorneys will be on hand as part of the NAACP’s voter protection program to monitor reports of any voter suppression. They’ll additionally be on the lookout for intimidation and polling place irregularities in Georgia and eight other states. The goal is to address voter access problems that may arise.
“NAACP attorneys will review reports, file any necessary claims, and be prepared to work with election officials, law enforcement and the DOJ, if necessary, to protect voters, poll workers and the right to vote. The NAACP will have an in-person command center with attorneys in Georgia,” Jonah Bryson, spokesperson to the NAACP’s national President and CEO, said.
The group says it has already sent over 8 million texts to voters, trained 30,000 volunteers, and offered free Lyft rides for voters to polling stations.
Bryson told CNN that the NAACP has spent approximately $2 million in radio ads across Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan to turn out voters.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez contributed reporting to this post.
Source: www.cnn.com