An upstart coalition of pastors and political operators are hoping to boost voter turnout through the city’s churches.
Lift Every Voice and Vote Detroit (LEVV) gathered pastors, volunteers and members of the media on the city’s northwest side Monday, the day before Election Day, to highlight its impact getting “pews to the polls.”
Leaders say the ultimate goal of the organization is for 100% participation among church members it welcomes into its coalition. They acknowledged Detroit’s low voter turnout but pointed to local faith communities as a tool to boost voter engagement among family who otherwise wouldn’t vote.
The approximately 500,000 registered voters who are residents of the city of Detroit have a chance Tuesday to boost their 17% turnout performance from the August primary.
Polls are open from 7am. to 8pm. You must vote at your assigned polling place. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m. at your polling place, you will be able to vote.
Lift Every Voice & Vote Detroit is a grassroots initiative powered by the National Black Empowerment Council. Employees work out of its west side office to make civic engagement more accessible through local faith communities.
Darius, Jones, executive director of the National Black Empowerment Council, said that faith communities are driving voter participation in Detroit, and in urban settings across the country. He called them an essential element of community development.
“All of these critical issues that are of paramount importance to Black people, public safety, education, economic empowerment, the resurrection of the family as a principle institution within the African American community — if we are not voting, people are not going to take that seriously,” Jones said Monday. “The African American faith community and the Black church has been the bedrock of our community since we got here 400 years ago.”
Gospel legend Shirley Murdock came to LEVV churches during the weekend leading up to the election—Hartford Memorial, Citadel of Praise, Greater Grace, Second Ebenezer, Martin Evers, Nazarene, and Great Faith—for what the coalition calls its “Pews to the Poll” concert series.
Leaders at Monday’s press conference touted the impact of other faith-based organizing to turn out voters in other cities, but said that younger voters are key to making progress.
“I think our generation still does respond to whoever that family member is who you’re going to go vote out of respect for that person,” said Jesse Love, the Deputy Director of Lift Every Voice & Vote. “I think there is some juice to squeeze in that way.”
Pastor Kevin Harris, of Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church, questioned how many of the people on SNAP benefits would have voted differently — or at all — had they known the risk they’re currently facing of losing access to food assistance.
“Right now there are potentially 42 million people in this country who are going to lose their SNAP benefits — 1.4 million here in Michigan. In the city of Detroit, up to 40% of residents receive SNAP benefits that are under threat because both sides can’t come together,” Harris said. “The question I ask out of all of those people who are potentially going to lose their benefits: how many didn’t vote?”
Harris said it takes a movement to increase the city’s 17% voter turnout rate during the primary election, which he said is a reason the city gets overlooked politically on larger scale.
“This movement is a way that we can come back together,” he said.
