SPLC announces “We Decide Alabama” campaign on Voting Rights Act anniversary
Organizers planned canvassing, block parties and youth training to mobilize voters ahead of Alabama’s 2026 midterm elections.
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The Southern Poverty Law Center recently announced a new campaign it’s calling”We Decide Alabama,” a civic engagement campaign aimed at registering and mobilizing voters in Alabama ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The announcement comes on the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, with civic leaders calling on foot soldiers to realize that the movement must still march on.
“If lawmakers were hoping that Black communities in Alabama would sit idly by as they unfairly stole power in broad daylight, then those lawmakers clearly need to reread their history books about Alabama,” said Tafeni English-Relf, Alabama state director of the SPLC. “Black voters in our state are justifiably fed up with schemes to sow confusion about elections or generate apathy among their communities. And they are responding with a clear message ahead of the general election: We will decide who has the power to guide the future of Alabama after November.”
To actively engage voters ahead of the general election on Nov. 3, community organizers from the SPLC’s Alabama state office will lead multiple days of canvassing starting in late August, followed by community block parties in September. Young Alabamians will also have the opportunity to participate in ongoing election protection and youth organizing training.
“With the American Dream of owning a home, earning an education, or being able to provide for a family becoming less affordable by the day, young people have a tremendous stake in who represents them not just in Washington, but also in their local and state offices,” English-Relf said. “The decisions made at the ballot box will determine whether electricity bills will continue to rise, whether rural hospitals will be able to keep their doors open, and whether struggling parents will be able to feed their children a full meal at dinnertime. Participating in this election is about more than protecting democracy; it’s about choosing whether your community has the investment it needs to provide every resident with a good quality of life. Don’t let others make that choice for you.”