WASHINGTON, D.C.,  Presidential candidates George W. Bush and John F. Kerry have been invited to a "Let Justice Roll" worship service and rally Oct. 31 in Miami, Fla., to celebrate the culmination of months of effort by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the Center for Community Change, to register new voters from the faith community.
According to the NCC, The "Let Justice Roll" campaign launched in June and succeeded in registering more than 100,000 people to vote.
"It is perhaps a very fitting end for this campaign, which has mobilized thousands of faith-based, community and low-income people across the country, to have its final stop in Miami-Dade County, Florida," said Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, director of the campaign.
"This was the very place where the 2000 election was decided and we hope that we will be able to encourage all registered voters to go to the polls and cast their ballots on Election Day," he said.
Montgomery, Ala., doctor, Randy Brinson, began another new effort aimed at registering new voters this year. He organized this year's "Redeem the Vote" campaign to register young conservatives using the Christian music world in the same way MTV tailored a voter registration drive to its music video audience with "Rock the Vote" in 1992.
Bob Angelotti, spokesman for Redeem the Vote, told Baptist Press that although total counts are still being tallied, about 100,000 young people registered to vote through Redeem the Vote this year. That compares to some 50,000 people who registered through Rock the Vote its first year.
In addition, the iVoteValues initiative, was launched this year by the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family. While final numbers have yet to be tallied, the Southern Baptist Convention reports approximately 6,000 new voters have been registered. Focus on the Family staff reported they have not yet tallied any numbers.
