Early voting began in the District on Monday, Oct. 26, and continues through Sunday, Nov. 1, and, unless you’re doing same-day voter registration, you don’t need to bring any specific form of ID (proof of residency) to vote in person.
Meanwhile, in both Maryland and Virginia, early voting numbers have already reached or surpassed one-day records as voters showed they recognize how important it is to vote.
However, what may just tip the scales in the midterms are nonpartisan efforts like the inaugural National Black Man Voter Day – a nationwide Week of Action – which culminated on Saturday, Oct. 24.
According to NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, the goal was to mobilize 100,000 Black men to exercise their constitutional right before Election Day, using the various options available in their respective states or districts. And while final numbers have yet to be reported, officials remain encouraged.
“This midterm election is a critical turning point for our community and our democracy,” Johnson said. “For many generations, Black men have fought to secure access to the ballot. Today, we wield our collective power and make our voices heard from the bottom of the ballot to the top. [This is] about more than an election – this is about protecting our future and refusing to ever be silenced.”
NUL President and CEO Marc H. Morial said, Black men voting is not simply about casting ballots.
“We are claiming our power to shape the future of our families, our communities and our nation,” he said. “National Black Man Voter Day was about turning that power into action.”
Ray B. Shackelford, the Urban League’s vice president of equitable justice, said he and his colleagues remain excited because of the response to the Black Man Voter Day initiative.
“Men, especially men under 50, backed Trump by a wider margin in 2024, as he narrowly won men under age 50 – a shift from 2020 when men in that age group favored Biden by 10 points,” said Shackelford, who emphasized the following caveat. “In the overall electorate and among key demographic groups, Republican-leaning eligible voters simply were more likely to turn out than Democratic-leaning eligible voters in 2024.”
Still, President Trump remains intent on using the Justice Department to disrupt the midterm vote-counting process by forcing election officials in California to set aside the votes of suspected noncitizens who have been issued mail ballots. As the president continues to make baseless claims of massive voter fraud, the Justice Department has also interjected itself in Alaska and in Kansas.
But former President Barack Obama set the record straight while recently campaigning for the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed and commenting on the divisive comments and tactics used by the current president.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Obama said. “I starred in it.”
With such attempts, it’s important to follow the footsteps of such initiatives like Black Man Voter Day, and get family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances to the polls en masse.
“Our voices matter, our votes matter,” Morial said, “and when we move together, we can move this nation forward.”
