Poor People's Campaign Reaches Over 5 Million Poor, Low-Propensity Voters Ahead of Midterms

This week, the Poor People's Campaign reached a milestone in its effort to mobilize poor, low-propensity voters to the polls ahead of the midterms: over 5.1 million voters have been contacted in 15 priority states, representing 1 out of every 50 eligible voters.

These priority states include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Some 1,000 volunteers reached these 5.1 million voters via text, door knocking and visiting churches and community events.

On September 19, 2022, 50 days before the midterms, the Poor People's Campaign began its final push to reach 5 million poor and low-wage voters and ensure they are at the center of the national narrative around the elections. The goal of reaching 5 million voters more than doubled the Campaign's efforts in 2020, when 2.1 million poor and low-wage voters were contacted in priority states.

"Poor and low-wage voters, who in many states represent over 40 percent of the electorate, have been rejected by the politics of trickle-down economics and greed," said Bishop William Barber, the campaign's co-chair. "Until children are protected, until sick people are healed, until low-wage workers are paid, until immigrants are treated fairly, until women's rights are secured and all people respected, until affordable houses are provided, until the land and water are protected, until saving the world is more important than blowing up the world, we won't be silent anymore. We will mobilize, organize, register and educate to unleash the power and agenda of poor and low wage people."

To kick-off the final stretch of GOTV efforts ahead of Election Day, the Campaign is hosting a virtual rally on Thursday featuring stories of impacted people and to ensure that voters in key states including North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are registered to vote and equipped with a voting plan.

WHO: Poor People's Campaign National Co-chairs Bishop William J. Barber II, President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, and Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis, Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice

WHAT: National Virtual GOTV Rally

WHERE: PoorPeoplesCampaign.org/Livestream

WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 8PM ET

"The priorities of poor and low-wage people are on the ballot in these midterm elections" said Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Campaign. "It's time to vote for policies and politicians that center the needs of poor and low-wealth people, including health care for all, living wages, and social programs that lift the load of poverty. Too many people are hurting and dying because of immoral policies. We are voting to make our demands heard at the ballot box."

Poor and low wage voters have power that is yet to be fully realized. Over fifty million low-wage people voted in the 2020 presidential election, accounting for one-third of the electorate and even greater proportions in battleground states, according to a study by the Poor People's Campaign released last year. Yet over 80 million low-wage people were eligible to cast a ballot, meaning more than 30 million people left their votes on the table. In many states, less than 20 percent of these voters could change the outcome of races in their area. The Poor People's Campaign is determined to mobilize these voters, and demand an agenda that lifts society from the ground up.

The 15 priority states reflect those with high percentages of low-income voters (LIV) who turned out in 2020, as well as a high percentage of LIV as a percentage of the overall electorate. In Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, the number of voters reached has outpaced the margin of victory in each state from the 2020 presidential election. A state-by-state breakdown of voters reached through the National Voter Outreach Program as of November 1, 2022 is included below:

Alabama: 267,217

Arizona: 209,440

Florida: 218,912

Georgia: 731,785

Illinois: 171,414

Kentucky: 119,957

Michigan: 315,509

Mississippi: 196,322

North Carolina: 718,717

Ohio: 473,750

Pennsylvania: 614,991

South Carolina: 288,376

Texas: 444,021

Wisconsin: 226,507

West Virginia: 46,962