(BPRW) CINCINNATI NAACP LAUNCHES MOBILE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNIT

A comprehensive voter and civic engagement strategy that includes a mobile unit to engage residents directly in the voting process

(Black PR Wire) Securing voting rights and fair government representation are essential to democracy. On February 12, 2024, Cincinnati NAACP was the first chapter in the United States to launch V.O.T.E., a comprehensive voter and civic engagement strategy that includes a mobile unit to engage Hamilton County residents directly in the voting process.

The first Cincinnati NAACP Mobile Civic Engagement Unit outreach event will be held in April 2024, with monthly events with community partners scheduled afterward. Cincinnati NAACP leaders, mobile unit sponsors, and community partners will discuss strategic priorities and bus appearances, show the mobile unit, and be available for interviews.

Cincinnati NAACP Mobile Civic Engagement Unit is 24 ft long X 10 ft wide X 11 ft. tall. Retrofitted with six computer stations, printers, and WI-FI, the vehicle will travel to historically marginalized neighborhoods with low voter engagement.

Trained volunteers will educate residents about the voting process, distribute instructional materials, print their sample ballot, provide absentee ballot request forms, and assist in online registration (paper voter registration forms will also be available). Additionally, residents will be instructed to verify their registration status, track their mailed applications and ballots, find polling locations, and identify their elected officials.

“We could not be more excited to launch the first in the nation NAACP civic engagement strategy and mobile unit in Cincinnati on the 109th charter day of our branch, said Joe Mallory, Cincinnati NAACP president. For 109 years, our chapter has been a local leader and national role model in our organization’s mission to advance policies and practices that expand human and civil rights. Thank you to sponsors and partners, Fifth Third Foundation, McElrath Slade Wholeness Institute, Kroger, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, J. Phillip Holloman, and the Urban League of Southwestern Ohio. The Cincinnati NAACP will leverage technology and mobility to reach residents more easily to empower, engage, and educate them on voting.”

David Whitehead, Cincinnati NAACP Political Action & Voter Empowerment Chair, said, “We look forward to elevating and continuing to do the work of the Cincinnati NAACP by taking the mobile unit into communities, educating residents about civic engagement, and training volunteers.” He went on to say, “Our goal is to make our model scalable and sustainable beyond the election cycle.”

Community partners can request the Cincinnati NAACP Mobile Civic Engagement Unit. Requests are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on unit and volunteer availability.

Cincinnati NAACP- A Legacy of Impact

Cincinnati NAACP has a vibrant history, but we are more than our past. Who we are is every bit as much about our present and future. It’s about our advocacy, activism, hope, and progress legacy. The legacy we will leave is the history we continue to make, the narratives we change, and the ability to create a sustainable positive impact on the lives of people in our community now and yet to come. For more information, visit cincinnatinaacp.com.