NAACP fund seeks to close Black voter registration and turnout gaps ahead of the November election

By AYANNA ALEXANDER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NAACP is announcing that nonprofits engaged in a variety of voter-engagement efforts can apply for grant funding that helps local organizations register voters, boost turnout and guard against minority disenfranchisement. The leading civil rights organization says it hopes to raise $15 million for its Building Community Voice Fund. Dominik Whitehead, the NAACP’s vice president of campaigns, says it was created as a response to numerous attacks on voting rights that followed a significant jump in Black voter turnout during the 2020 presidential election. The fund is intended to focus primarily on voter outreach efforts related to local elections, such as those for school board, city council or district attorney.