Organizers Coming to a Door Near You

The Virginia Organizing Project, a group dedicated to combating racial and economic injustice, is engaged in a big effort this year to spread its political message and register new voters.

The Charlottesville-based group has 10 paid field organizers and 50 interns fanned out across the state knocking on doors each day. On an average night, they can hit as many as 4,000 households, according to Joe Szakos, the executive director.

By the end of July, Szakos said the staffers and interns and other volunteers will have distributed about 300,000 voting guides, which contain information about state and federal issues and details on how and where to go to register to vote.

The Virginia Organizing Project is also one a dozen groups trying to encourage non-violent felons to apply to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to get their voting rights restored.

"As canvassers knock on doors, if someone says they can't vote, they give them the form and point them in the right direction," said Szakos, adding 40,000 doors have been knocked on since May. "In some places, we will actually help people fill it out."

Szakos said the ongoing effort is the largest canvass the organization has ever undertaken.

"There is just so much energy surrounding the presidential, congressional and Senate races," said Szakos, who says the registration drive is nonpartisan.

By Tim Craig |  June 17, 2008; 10:11 PM ET  | Category:  Election 2008/Congress , Election 2008/Local , Election 2008/President , Election 2008/U.S. Senate , Tim Craig
Previous: Cuccinelli Fundraising Nears $100,000 | Next: Van Hollen Helps Feder Raise Money

Posted by: Anonymous | June 23, 2008 7:50 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.