VP Harris Announces $25 Million For Voting Rights Program
Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $25 million expansion of the “I Will Vote” initiative as Democrats look to combat new Republican-backed voting restrictions that have taken place in states like Arizona and Georgia.
NBC reports the money will be used to educate voters and establish the DNC’s largest protection team. The money will also be used to create a large tech team that will use data to reach out to people who have been affected by restrictive voting measures or those who have been purged from voter rolls.
“This campaign is grounded on the firm belief that everyone’s vote matters,” said Harris, who is expected to make the announcement Thursday at her alma mater, Howard University, a historically black college. “This is about all voters, It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or not. We want to help you vote, we want to make sure your vote is counted."
President Joe Biden has warned the right to vote is under attack with new restrictive laws in states like Georgia he compared to “Jim Crow." The new Georiga law requires a photo ID in order to vote. The new law also decreases the number of drop boxes in Georgia’s most populated counties from 98 to 23.
A new Arizona law recently upheld by the Supreme Court could purge up to 125,000 to 150,000 from voter rolls.
The For The People Act is designed to expand early and mail-in voting and make campaign contributions more transparent. Democrats are also seeking to pass a similar bill titled the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“Your vote is your power, do not let anyone take that power away from you. We will not let anyone take away our power.” Harris said.
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