Poor People’s Campaign mobilizing low-income voters in Georgia ahead of senate runoff
Economic justice advocates in Georgia are mobilizing ahead of next month’s runoff U.S. Senate election in the state, working to convince low-income residents who lack access to healthcare and living wages to back Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock.
The Georgia Poor People’s Campaign announced late Wednesday that it is launching a statewide canvassing, text-banking, and social media campaign to reach out to millions of Georgia voters who are low-income, calling the push their “If We Ever Needed To Vote, We Sure Do Need To Vote Now Tour.”
“It ain’t over yet, and every vote must count,” said the group.
On Sunday, November 27, Poor People’s Campaign co-chair Rev. Dr. William Barber II will begin the campaign at a worship service at St. Mary’s Road United Methodist Church in Columbus, Georgia, followed by a rally on Monday at Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta.
The campaign is launching more than a week before Georgia voters are scheduled to head to the polls on December 6 for a runoff election between Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, a former professional football player who has helped spread conspiracy theories and lies about the results of the 2020 election.
“Persons who low wages, voter suppression, and denial of healthcare impacts” will join Barber in making a “call to action” at the rally, appealing to people across the state who would experience harm due to Republican Party proposals like its plan to cut Social Security and Medicare.
Georgia has the fourth-highest number of people who are uninsured, with more than 1.2 million residents lacking health coverage. Nearly two million people—47% of the workforce—earn less than $15 per hour. A Georgia resident would have to work 93 hours per week on average to afford a two-bedroom apartment if they were working at the federal minimum wage.
At the Georgia Poor People’s Campaign events this coming week, “speakers will emphasize to all Georgians—especially poor and low-wealth voters—that their votes will make a difference.”
The runoff follows the November 8 midterm election, in which neither Warnock nor Walker secured more than 50% of the vote.
Earlier this week, the national Poor People’s Campaign also launched a text-banking push targeting Georgia voters.
Originally published at Commondreams.org.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
