With half a month remaining until the U.S. election, the latest polling results show that the support for both presidential candidates is neck and neck. Both sides are intensifying their efforts to reach out to more voters, hoping to inform undecided voters about their platforms and encourage them to go out and vote.
Organizations focusing on left-leaning voters have seen a significant surge in support and enthusiasm since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate. Voto Latino, a group aiming to encourage Latino voters to participate in the election, reported registering over 50,000 people within ten days of Biden’s withdrawal in late July. This marked a substantial increase compared to previous years, with only 2,250 and 25,000 registrations in July 2016 and 2020, respectively.
Among the newly registered voters this year, more than half are young people aged 18 to 29. The majority of this growth has been observed in key swing states such as Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida, particularly in Arizona where over 11,000 Latino voters were registered, with more than half signing up after Biden’s announcement.
The organization stated, “With Harris as the candidate, the spontaneous enthusiasm from young people, donors, and those who care about a strong democracy should focus on where we can bridge the voter registration gap.”
Despite the growing interest and enthusiasm for Harris among many voters, left-leaning organizations acknowledge the need for extensive efforts to introduce Harris and her policies. This also reflects the Republican Party’s efforts in reaching out to African American and Latino voters.
Siembra NC, a grassroots organization focusing on the Latino community in North Carolina, found that while many potential voters are willing to participate in local elections, they are hesitant to engage in the presidential election. They believe that elections closer to their daily lives have a greater impact, and both Trump and Harris have not fully met their expectations as presidential candidates.
A spokesperson for the organization stated, “Our focus is on engaging in numerous trust-building conversations, which take time. It’s essentially about helping people realize that not voting is also a political decision.”
The organization held a voter mobilization event in Greensboro at the end of September, followed by neighborhood parties focusing on labor policies, Harris’s stance on border issues, and Trump’s remarks concerning the Latino community.
Supporting Harris, the organization visited nearly a thousand households during the event, attracting participants from multiple counties.
With early voting taking place nationwide, mobilizing voters from diverse communities, particularly African American and Latino men, has become a priority for both Harris and Trump’s campaigns. Both sides are intensifying their outreach to these groups, recognizing that the election is likely to pivot on seven swing states. However, as Election Day approaches, persuading undecided swing state voters poses a challenge.
Michael A. Blake, the founder and CEO of the KAIROS Democracy Project, emphasized the importance of continued effort despite enthusiasm, stating, “We must be mindful that passion and excitement do not mean we stop doing the work. You still need to get people to the polls.” The non-partisan organization focuses on engaging young voters and communities of color.
According to APIA Vote, a non-partisan advocacy group focusing on Asian and Pacific Islander voters, the Asian population in Texas has grown by approximately 63% since 2012, with nearly one million eligible Asian American and Pacific Islander voters as of this year.
Supported by billionaire Elon Musk, the America PAC, aimed at assisting Republican candidate Trump to win the election, is striving to achieve door-to-door visits in swing states. In key swing states like Wisconsin and Nevada, the organization is working at full speed in the final two weeks before the election to mobilize support for the Republican candidate.
Sources involved in the organization’s outreach activities revealed to Reuters that management is concerned about not meeting daily door-to-door visit goals and aims to increase contact with potential voters. The group aims to visit 450,000 households in Wisconsin before Election Day.
It was also disclosed that Chris Young, a long-time Republican activist and an assistant to Musk, recently travelled to Nevada to audit the number of door knocks conducted by workers hired by contractors. The America PAC is actively seeking adequate manpower to conduct audits in other states.
The America PAC’s current outreach efforts focus on door-to-door initiatives aimed at convincing “low-voting propensity voters” to cast their ballots, particularly those who may support Trump but are considering not voting. This work is concentrated in key swing states where even a slight difference in voter turnout could influence the election’s final outcome.