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The NAACP and Kamala Harris are teaming up to mobilize Black voters in the final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections.
The civil rights organization announced the partnership this week.
Its president and chief executive Derrick Johnson will travel with the former vice president to two cities where Black turnout could decide statewide results.
For Black communities facing rising costs and fresh attacks on voting rights, the message is simple. Make a plan now and cast a ballot.
Major Takeaways
- The NAACP and Kamala Harris will headline voter town halls in Milwaukee on Monday, October 26 and in Atlanta on Thursday, October 29.
- Each stop will pair community engagement activities with a fireside chat between Harris and NAACP President Derrick Johnson about voting and leadership.
- The town halls anchor a multimillion dollar voter drive that aims to mobilize more than 6.5 million voters across 33 congressional districts in 14 states.
- Volunteers have already passed the original goal by a wide margin, with more than 52,000 people signed up against a target of 20,000.
Photo: Wake Tech Community College via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
1. Kamala Harris and the NAACP Take the Push to Milwaukee First
The first stop is Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Monday, October 26.
The second stop follows in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, October 29.
The NAACP said event times and locations for both stops will be announced soon.
Both cities sit in swing states where either party can win from one election to the next.
Wisconsin and Georgia were each decided by narrow margins in the last two presidential races.
Both states also have races for governor on the ballot this year.
Milwaukee and Atlanta are home to large Black populations whose turnout can shape statewide results.
That is exactly why the tour goes to those two cities in the final week before Election Day.
Photo: Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA 4.0
2. What Happens at Each Town Hall
Each stop will include community engagement activities led by the NAACP.
Each stop will end with a fireside chat between Johnson and Harris.
The conversation will focus on voting, community leadership and staying involved in the democratic process.
Attendees will get nonpartisan voter education resources and direct access to local organizers.
They will also get practical steps for community involvement in their own neighborhoods.
Johnson framed the work as a duty that stretches far beyond a single election.
The NAACP has been at the forefront of protecting voting rights and ensuring our communities have a voice in our democracy, Johnson said.
Our work doesn’t begin or end on Election Day. From voter education to grassroots organizing, we remain committed to building informed, engaged communities.
We look forward to continuing that work alongside Vice President Harris in Milwaukee and Atlanta, Johnson added.
3. A Volunteer Army Already at Work
The town halls are part of a multimillion dollar effort to get out the vote for the 2026 midterms.
The NAACP said the effort aims to mobilize more than 6.5 million voters.
That reach spans 33 congressional districts in 14 states.
The organization originally set a goal of recruiting 20,000 volunteers for the push.
It has signed up more than 52,000 volunteers so far.
Those volunteers are knocking on doors and canvassing neighborhoods across the country.
They are also making phone calls and reaching voters online.
For Black voters, that personal contact matters.
A knock at the door from a neighbor carries weight that a television ad never will.
4. Why This Push Lands Right Now
The NAACP said the push comes as voters deal with rising costs in daily life.
Voters also face threats to health care access and attacks on voting rights.
Growing concerns about government accountability hang over the midterm elections as well.
Those pressures fall hardest on Black families in cities like Milwaukee and Atlanta.
Rents, groceries and insurance bills shape how people judge every candidate on the ballot.
At the same time, new maps and new voting rules have changed how ballots are cast in many states.
Our coverage this morning showed Justice Elena Kagan warning that recent court rulings have hurt Black voters and weakened voting equality.
Against that backdrop, a town hall is more than a photo moment.
It is a place to learn the rules, check a registration and lock in a voting plan.
Photo: Marc Merlin via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA 4.0
5. Detroit Showed the Model Works
The October dates build on a September voter education event in Detroit, Michigan.
Harris attended that gathering at Fellowship Chapel on September 22.
Detroit Branch President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony hosted the event.
Rev. Dr. Genetta Hatcher also helped lead the discussions there.
That Detroit stop proved the format could draw a crowd and hold a serious conversation about the ballot.
Now the same model moves to two even larger stages in the final week.
Milwaukee and Atlanta will test whether the energy can turn into early ballots and Election Day lines.
6. Make a Plan Before November 3
The NAACP is urging voters to make a plan now for how and when they will cast a ballot.
That plan can mean voting early where early voting is open.
It can mean voting by mail where that option fits a work or family schedule.
It can also mean voting in person on Tuesday, November 3.
What matters most is deciding before the final rush begins.
Check your registration, find your polling place and tell family and friends to do the same.
Black voters have decided close elections in Wisconsin and Georgia before.
With control of Congress and governorships on the line, organizers say this fall will be no different.
Read more in our News coverage, see our report on how Black voters are leading the North Carolina early voting surge, read our story on how Justice Kagan warned that court rulings hurt Black voters, and visit Urban City Podcast for more stories.
