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Jimmy Williams
The NAACP is investing $20 million in a campaign to encourage Black voter turnout across twelve states this fall, a critical effort ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The initiative aims to mobilize more than 14.5 million Black voters, especially in seven key battleground states, including Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
Details of the investment, shared first with NBC News, include $6 million in funds for local NAACP chapters and partners, $1 million for polling and research, and $1.4 million for texting outreach. Additionally, the NAACP will spend $3 million on radio ads and $2 million on mailings in Black communities to increase awareness and push voters to the polls.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson emphasized the importance of Black voter participation, stating, “While the threats against our democracy are present and dangerous, our commitment to making our voices heard is unwavering. Our most important Black job this November — for all of us — is showing up to the ballot box and making our voices heard. The only way to combat these radical extremists is with your vote.”
This campaign is nonpartisan, focusing on voter education and mobilization rather than supporting specific candidates. Messaging will encourage Black voters to verify their registration, find polling places, vote early, and report any voter suppression or intimidation.
Black voters are expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential race, which will likely be a close contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. While Black voters typically lean Democratic, their turnout and margin of victory could prove decisive.
A recent Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion poll of likely Black voters in battleground states showed 82% of respondents supporting Harris, with 12% backing Trump. This compares with 2020 exit polls, where President Joe Biden won 89% of Black voters in these states, while Trump received 9%.
