Harris visits Black church in Georgia in ‘souls to the polls’ early voting push

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a church in the Atlanta suburbs on Sunday, urging congregants to cast early ballots as part of her campaign’s “souls to the polls” push to turn out Black voters.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a church in the Atlanta suburbs on Sunday, urging congregants to cast early ballots as part of her campaign’s “souls to the polls” push to turn out Black voters. The early voting push comes as Harris attempts to motivate Black voters, who are a critical part of the Democratic base. Her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, has targeted those voters — hoping to chip into Harris’ margins, especially with Black men. “Our country is at a crossroads, and where we go from here is up to us as Americans and as people of faith,” Harris said at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia. “We face this question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” she said. “A country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and justice?” Black churches have played a critical role in mobilizing Black voters since the Civil Rights Movement — and Democratic campaigns have long sought to reach those voters, particularly in early voting states like Georgia, where polls were open Sunday afternoon. Despite holding an advantage over Trump among Black voters, Harris has fallen short in most polling of President Joe Biden’s numbers with the demographic when he won in 2020. In recent weeks, her campaign has made targeted media appearances and unveiled proposals aimed at Black men in a bid to strengthen her coalition. The vice president’s campaign’s “souls to the polls” effort, launched earlier this month with a board consisting of Black faith leaders from around the United States, also saw Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attend service at Victorious Believers Ministries in Saginaw, Michigan.