'Souls to the Polls' events for Black voters adapt to the pandemic on final day of early voting in F
SANFORD — “Souls to the Polls” in 2020 looked a lot different than in past years, but Democrats were hopeful the statewide events helped increase Black voter turnout on the last day of early voting Sunday.
In past elections, the events brought thousands of voters directly from African American church services to the polls on the two Sundays of early voting.
This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, there were no large services and no lines of buses outside the church doors.
Instead, churches and faith groups organized events ranging from cookouts and caravans in South Florida to Sunday’s more low-key event in Sanford, all to encourage anyone who hadn’t yet voted to go by early voting locations while they still could.
Sunday’s event organized by Pastor Octavius Smith and the Allen Chapel in Sanford was one of 28 organized by Faith in Florida stretching from Tallahassee to Key West on Sunday.
Food was provided at the church in the Goldsboro neighborhood and Smith and Pastor Otis Raines of the Christian Fellowship Baptist Church of Sanford held a small prayer service a block away from the polling location at the Sanford Library.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/2020-election/os-ne-2020-election-final-sunday-20201101-fvltqb2i3fg4ziph76jplxdkoi-story.html
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