NAACP launches campaign to boost black voter turnout

WASHINGTON — The NAACP recently launched an ad-buy in Georgia as part of a nine-state campaign that continues a multiyear effort from the civil rights organization to boost black voter turnout in the state.

The campaign will focus on media markets in Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah and builds on a national campaign that will target key states and congressional districts. This campaign is part of a $20 million nationwide effort by the organization to mobilize black voters and combat disinformation and voter suppression tactics and is one of the most expansive ever led by a national civil rights organization.

This effort comes after the National Office and the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP sent a letter in August to U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke asking her to investigate voter suppression efforts that allow individuals to cancel someone else’s voter registration without their knowledge.

“The significance of black voters throughout Georgia’s history cannot be overstated,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said. “Black communities remain resilient in the wake of rampant and repeated attempts to suppress our right to vote. We will not allow anyone to undermine our democracy or take away our ability to use our voices to vote. We will not be discouraged, and I am confident that black voters in Georgia will show up and show out from the start of early voting through Election Day.”

“The fight for democracy has deep roots in Georgia — and this election, we must continue that fight,” Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, said. “With 16 electoral votes, Georgia could very well play a decisive role in the outcome of the presidential election, and reject Project 2025 for good.

“From local races to the White House, our votes can and will decide the fate of our state and country. In a race likely to be decided by only a handful of votes, every single vote will matter in Georgia. That’s why the NAACP is laser-focused on turning out every single eligible voter in our state.”

The ads will target young black voters, ages 18-35, and urge them to vote and encourage others in their community to vote, too. The ads feature a series of spots centered around community. In one, a young woman encourages her father to vote in the upcoming election. In another, a group of men at a barbershop discuss the importance of voting in the upcoming election. 

The number of eligible black voters in the United States has increased since 2016, with the number projected to reach 34.4 million eligible votes by November, according to the Pew Research Center.

The ad campaign kicked off on Oct. 10 in Georgia and builds on the NAACP’s work in 2020 and 2022 to turn out voters in key states, including the 2020 Georgia runoff election. Along with local and national radio spots, the NAACP also is deploying streaming audio to target black voters ages 18-35. SMS text messaging, direct mail, and other digital strategies also will be part of the campaign to reach black voters.

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