PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In the fierce battle for the presidency, all eyes are on Pennsylvania. The turnout by Black voters could make all the difference, and the get-out-the-vote effort is full steam ahead despite recent unrest.
“We’ve always had a presence of high security,” said Brittany Small, Pennsylvania state director for Black Voters Matter Fund.
The group has traveled all over the Commonwealth in the weeks leading to Election Day, engaging Black voters. But in the days since the unrest in the wake of the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. and in anticipation of voter intimidation, they have heightened security.
“We are every alert about the strange activities that are happening,” said Small.
A recent CBS national poll revealed that half of Black voters are nervous about voter intimidation and most planned to cast their ballot before Election Day.
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According to Department of State data, nearly 80% of Pennsylvania’s 3 million mail-in ballots have been returned, but Small said many of those outstanding are from Black and Brown voters.
“Philadelphia is actually doing really good,” said Small. “Our focus is Delaware County and Chester City. We have supporters from all over the country making calls as we speak.”
The political parties have also turned up their get-out-the-vote efforts focusing on Black and Latino voters in Pennsylvania.
The Biden-Harris campaign has made numerous trips to Philadelphia, with stops in several majority Black neighborhoods. They’ve brought in John Legend and Lady Gaga, and rapper Common performed outside of Philadelphia City Hall days ago.
The Trump campaign has also ramped up its minority outreach with a focus on the Black vote, highlighting recent support from rappers Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Ice Cube.
Its Black Voices for Trump has also ramped up throughout the Keystone State as the campaign has put money into urban media.
“We’re leaving nothing on the table for this election,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, interim executive director of POWER, a nonpartisan interfaith advocacy group.
The organization is phone banking and texting in an effort to connect with Philadelphia voters, and has had a special focus on Black voters.
Last week’s police shooting and unrest raised concerns among that demographic about whether change is possible, but Royster said he uses it as motivation.
“One of the ways we’ve encouraged people to protest is to get out and vote, and there are questions on the ballot that could make change,” he said.
Royster points to ballot question 1, which would end unlawful stop and frisk and ballot question 3, which would create a Citizen Police Oversight Commission, as the prime example of how voting could help implement much needed reform.
But he said following Pennsylvania Department of State guidelines, POWER is also advising that voters hand deliver their mail-in ballots at drop off locations if they haven’t turned theirs in yet.
POWER is even giving voters free rides to both drop off boxes and to polls on Election Day.
“We’ve got a thousand rides scheduled between now and tomorrow,” Royster said. “Getting out the vote now is more important than ever.”
For a free ride call 1-844-POWER-VT.