Wanting to increase voter turnout for the Nov. 16 runoff, Together Baton Rouge is joining a statewide campaign targeting thousands of voters in low-turnout precincts who, despite voting in previous elections, did not show up for the Oct. 12 primary.
The organization unveiled Together Louisiana’s grassroots get out the vote strategy today during the groups’ joint “Gubernatorial and Legislative Accountability Session” at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, which was filled to standing room only.
The “Bridge the Turnout Gap” campaign particularly aims to raise black voter turnout statewide. After the Oct. 12 primary, the group analyzed turnout percentages taken from a sample of 20% of the wealthiest precincts in the state (53% voter turnout), and compared them to those taken from 20% of the lower-income, largely African American precincts (40% turnout).
“That leaves us with a 13% deficit,” said Rev. James Barrett of TBR. “Sure, we had a record turnout for early voting, but it was disheartening when we looked at the data that showed African American turnout was low.”
Ultimately, they’re targeting 64,000 voters in 320 precincts throughout the state—including some 15,000 voters across 60 precincts in East Baton Rouge Parish. Other participants include Together New Orleans, Cen LA Interfaith, North LA Interfaith, Delta Interfaith and Iberville-West BR Sponsoring Committee, all in partnership with the Power Coalition.
Key to the campaign is its strategy to personalize the act of voting through concrete relationship-building. To that end, each organization’s member groups—the vast majority are churches—are using volunteers to get out the vote to hundreds of targeted voters within certain precincts.
Also at today’s event, TBR officials asked six local legislative candidates in attendance to share their positions on blight and affordable housing, as well as the industrial tax exemption program. All candidates said they’d work with the organizations to reduce blight and increase affordable housing options. And all Democratic candidates—including Larry Selders, Dr. Leah Cullins, Taryn Branson, Belinda Davis and Beverly Brooks Thompson—also praised ITEP reform, with Franklin Foil, the lone Republican in attendance, agreeing to work with officials to determine what needs to be done.
“ITEP needs to be reformed, but it needs to be done through a constitutional amendment,” Foil said. “It’s important to have local control, but it might be beneficial to have one local authority, with the mayor in charge overall, to make those decisions.”
Meanwhile, Gov. John Bel Edwards answered questions from group leaders, pledging to support investment in education, Medicaid expansion, criminal justice reform, access to food, ITEP reform and his positive relationship with Together Baton Rouge.
Edwards’ opponent, Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone, did not attend the event.
