“It is time for a resurrection not an insurrection,” said the Poor People Campaign’s national co-chair Reverend William Barber II.
Earlier this month, he and the national PPC branch announced a multi-state effort to mobilize 15 million infrequent voters ahead of November’s election.
The 42-week campaign kicks off this Saturday across 32 states - including Delaware.
The goal is to bring policy change benefiting low-income voters by educating them on issues that impact them and getting them to the polls.
The Delaware Poor People’s Campaign (PPC-DE) plans to march on the Legislative Mall in Dover this weekend to share their demands for policy change in the First State.
This includes increasing access to healthcare, increasing the minimum wage, and increasing affordable housing.
Shyanne Miller and the H.O.M.E.S campaign are among those joining the Delaware Poor People’s Campaign Saturday.
Miller says they’re putting all eyes on the General Assembly.
“They’re about to go back in session. And Saturday is the perfect timing for the weekend right before they go back in session to start making laws. And this is the time for us to show up and call them out on their lack of action to protect people across Delaware.”
Other partners include Habitat for Humanity, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, the YWCA, and Delaware State University - all of whom will work with the Poor People’s Campaign to get low-income voters to the polls.
“Every community we can think of we’re going to be there. We are going to be working this issue as fully and as thoroughly as we know how,” said the Delaware Poor People's Campaign Tri-Chair Lyle Dykstra, who adds last week’s Superior Court decision striking down early voting makes the task a little harder.
According to data from Delaware Health and Social Services, 13.7% of Delaware families live in poverty.
In some zip codes that percentage is much higher.
“Many people will continue to work two to three jobs just to meet their basic needs. And those basic needs are simple: food, water, a place to lay their head down,” said PPC-DE Tri-Chair Cecelia Hobbs.
Many low-income families must adhere to strict time constraints due to factors like working multiple jobs, or not having access to childcare.
This shortens the window that they can make it to the polls, or spend time researching policy to make informed voting decisions.
PPC-DE hopes to find solutions to some of these issues to assure anyone, regardless of income, can exercise their right to vote.
They also plan to work with people who lack stable housing.
In Delaware, those who do not have a fixed residence or are experiencing homelessness are still qualified to vote if they meet the other requirements.
However, they must complete registration forms, and provide two pieces of identification containing their name, one of which must include the mailing address, which could be a shelter or agency.
The Hope Center and Friendship House are both partnering with PPC-DE in their campaign, and can help provide education and resources on voting to those experiencing homelessness.
