With the presidential election less than one month away, a new initiative has been launched to mobilize Black male voters in key battleground states. Vote To Live, which is affiliated with the Collective PAC, plans on spending around $4 million to garner this crucial voting block.
The Collective PAC, one of this nation’s largest political action committees backing Black candidates, has officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Its founder and president, Quentin James, told NBC News that Vote To Live has a detailed plan for garnering the Black male vote.
Vote to Live will inform Black men about where to register, provide free transportation to the polls when early voting is happening and hire people to engage directly with their communities. It will also host events, including homecoming parties, at historically Black colleges and universities.
“Black men are now one of the No. 1 targets for misinformation online, so we know they are being targeted by our adversaries, people who are trying to meddle in our elections, both foreign and domestic players,” James explained, also emphasizing the importance of direct outreach in the digital age.
“So we want to make sure we are also communicating with Black men around what they need to go vote, what to bring with them, what’s on their ballot — educating them on the actual process, because there is so much online trying to sway them,” he said.
Vote To Live will focus mainly on six states: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. There will also be additional efforts in Arizona and Nevada.
The group is hoping register 50,000 Black voters by providing them with vital resources. Vote To Live also plans to distribute 100,000 Uber vouchers for round-trip transportation during early voting in Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio.