Congressional Black Caucus Institute Launches SO VOTE on National Voter Registration Day to Mobilize & Boost Turnout in Consequential Midterm Races
New civic engagement effort will invest in young and low-propensity Black voters, rural communities across the Forgotten South, and the country’s most competitive 2026 races, building a playbook for 2028
The Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) today announced the launch of SO VOTE, a multi-state civic participation initiative designed to reach Black voters in the most competitive midterm races that are often overlooked by traditional campaigns. The initiative, led by the Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, Representatives Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and James E. Clyburn (D-SC), and former Representative Cedric Richmond, is launching nationally to register, engage and turn out young and low-propensity Black voters and rural voters across the South.
“For over six decades, the fight for the Southern Black vote has been a fight for survival,” said Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC). “Our youth and rural communities are too often forgotten. SO VOTE invests long-term in organizing our community’s inherent power. Having fought voter suppression my whole career, this initiative ensures Black and rural voters have a seat at the table. This is the moment we transform our resilience into lasting political power.”
SO VOTE is designed to activate Black and rural political power and build the infrastructure to sustain it in communities across the country. The campaign focuses on engaging and mobilizing the voters and communities emerging as the nation’s next center of political gravity – young voters and the Forgotten South. Its work will extend beyond the midterm elections. What is learned about what works and why it works will be used to develop a sharper playbook for reaching Black voters in 2028. The main elements of the SO VOTE campaign include:
- Investment in proven local organizations and ground operations, partnerships with When We All Vote, Black Fraternities and Sororities, Black Voters Matter, and other to drive registration and turn out;
- Voter registration drives and visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to engage and mobilize young voters on campus;
- Leveraging innovative strategies and tools not yet being used at scale on traditional campaigns to reach voters where they are and with trusted messengers;
- Centering Black voices and experience, connecting their reality with direct action. “Your grocery bill is too high. So vote.”; and
- Increasing voter registration, partnering with When We All Vote, available at weall.vote/sovote
SO VOTE investments will include, but are not limited to, the following consequential races: Georgia (statewide), Mississippi (statewide), North Carolina-01, Ohio-09, Ohio-13, Pennsylvania-07, Pennsylvania-10, Alabama-2, Arizona-2, Indiana-1, Missouri-5, North Carolina-11, Nevada-4, South Carolina-1, Tennessee-5, Tennessee-9, Wisconsin-1, and Wisconsin-3.
“Let’s be honest about what’s happening in this country,” said the Honorable Marcia L. Fudge. “The cost of living continues to rise, and for too long, communities like ours, who bear the weight of that burden, have been an afterthought. That changes with SO VOTE. We see you. This is a real investment in the people who have always shown up for this country, even when it hasn’t shown up for us. SO VOTE is about meeting people where they are. We’re not lecturing communities about civic duty, but giving them the tools and the support to make their voice count.”
“I have watched this country try to legislate our communities out of power through redistricting, red tape, and neglect,” said Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS). “They can redraw maps, but they cannot erase us if we show up. From the Mississippi Delta across the South, we are democracy’s emerging center of gravity. SO VOTE activates that power and builds infrastructure so those carrying the heaviest burdens can act with the full force of our numbers.”
“SO VOTE is an investment in voters who are carrying some of the heaviest economic burdens today, and whose voices will increasingly shape the future of our nation,” said former Congressman Cedric Richmond. “A democracy that represents everyone depends on engaging these communities now and sustaining their participation for years to come.”
