By Andrea Miller, Executive Director, Center for Common Ground
The backlash over racist mailers targeting Black voters has been loud. The follow-through has not. Few people are actually stepping up to do the direct voter contact work needed to counter the disinformation — particularly when it comes to phone banking.
Why Black and Hispanic Voters Are Missing From Most Phone Banks
This is a structural problem, not just an effort problem. Black and Hispanic voters have largely stopped registering as Democrats. That means when campaigns run searches for “strong Democrats” or consistent voters, Black and Hispanic voters do not show up in the results. They are systematically excluded from standard partisan outreach before anyone even picks up a phone.
What Center for Common Ground Is Doing About It
Since 2016, Center for Common Ground has focused specifically on inconsistent voters — people at risk of being purged from the rolls for not voting. We run civics education programs and pay low-income Black community members to do neighbor-to-neighbor outreach. Black students at HBCUs are being paid to make calls, building both voting and civic engagement habits in the process.
The Anger Is Real and Growing
Black voters have noticed the neglect. The 2024 Georgia results were a direct signal — Georgia has a 33% Black registered voter population. The sentiment on the ground is blunt: “We don’t even get a phone call.” That resentment has electoral consequences.
Republicans Saw the Vacuum and Moved In
While Democratic-aligned organizations debated strategy, Republicans launched a coordinated campaign targeting nearly one million Black voters in Virginia with disinformation claiming redistricting would strip them of their voting rights. They used trusted messengers — including fabricated or misleading use of Governor Spanberger, President Obama, and footage of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. No counter-campaign has materialized. No organized outreach. No support — only more fundraising appeals.
The Ground-Level Data Is Alarming
Center for Common Ground is texting voters in Prince William County, Virginia’s third-largest county. The responses are concerning: more “voting no” responses are coming from Prince William than from rural counties. Republicans are already on their second mailer targeting Black voters there. Prince William County currently ranks last — 133 out of 133 — in early voting turnout.
This matters because 12 localities determine the outcome of every Virginia statewide election. Four of those 12 are currently in the bottom 10 for early voting turnout. Early voting data by locality is publicly trackable at vpap.org.
Outrage is not enough. If you are serious about countering the disinformation targeting Black voters, get off the sidelines. Join our phone banks. Share this now.
Thursday, April 9 @ 6pm Eastern
Stephanie Thomas, Vice Chair
Democratic Assn of Secretaries of State
Thursday, April 9 @ 7pm
Sen. L. Louise Lucas,
President Pro Tempore
Saturday, April 11 @ 2pm
Sen. Dick Blumenthal CT
Tuesday, April 14 @ 4pm
Colin Allred, TX
