ACLU Of Pennsylvania Launching Its First Ever Get Out The Vote Campaign
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The ACLU of Pennsylvania will announce Tuesday morning its first ever get out the vote campaign designed to boost the lackluster turnout expected in the May primary. Their focus -- the Philadelphia race for district attorney.
The #VoteSmartJustice campaign will educate the ACLU's 11,000 members in Philadelphia and an additional 3,000 voters in affected communities by sending canvassers impacted by the system door to door.
"We are using returning citizens, people who have been incarcerated themselves to do the canvassing," says Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. He says this is the non-profit's first ever get out the vote effort. They hired 40 formerly incarcerated individuals to educate voters, with the hopes that these passionate canvassers will convince voters regarding the importance of the race for district attorney.
"The DA's office is one of the offices with the most impact on the community, yet historically has the least amount of voter participation," says Shuford. "I believe people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution- so they know more than anybody else and they can speak from personal experience."
The ACLU is not endorsing any particular candidate. Instead, they want voters to ask questions.
"How transparent is this new DA going to be. Is that person going to committed to reducing incarceration," says Shuford-- questions the canvassers will be able to answer.
For more details search social media using #VoteSmartJustice.
