Faith Organization Launches National Voter Mobilization Drive Targeting African-American and Latino Voters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 28, 2018

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123

Mackenzie Harris, mharris@faithpubliclife.org, (610)283-8879

 

Faith Organization Launches National Voter Mobilization Drive Targeting African-American and Latino Voters

 

Washington D.C. -- Faith in Public Life, a national network of nearly 50,000 faith leaders, has launched two multifaceted civic engagement programs aimed at educating and mobilizing African-American and Latino voters for the 2018 midterm elections.

 

Faithful Voter partners with predominantly African-American churches in Ohio, Georgia and Florida to increase voter registration and defeat any effort that seeks to limit voters' access to the ballot box. The program recruits pastors to give sermons on the importance of voting and asks members of the congregation to sign ‘I’m a Faithful Voter’ pledge cards. Those cards are returned to the voter by mail just before the election as a reminder of their pledge.

 

In 2014, this program showed a 1.9% increase in turnout in the midterm elections among voters participating.

 

Votante Fiel is a Virginia-based, faith-driven Latino voter education, mobilization, and leadership development program. We partner with local Latino leaders to encourage their friends and family to commit to voting. In house meetings, church events, and one on one meetings, Latinos receive tools and training in proven techniques for encouraging infrequent voters through phone calls and pledge cards. Votante Fiel builds on strong religious and social obligations within the Latino community.

 

In 2016, Votante Fiel turned out at a higher percentage than their respective demographic groups in Virginia. According to voter file analysis, voter turnout across all demographic groups was 70.4%. Among African-Americans, the turnout rate was nearly 7 points lower. But among African-American participants in Faith in Public Life’s Faithful Voter program, the turnout rate was 94.8%.

 

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