Poor People's Campaign looks to mobilize Texas voters ahead of November election

Eager to unleash what its leaders called a "sleeping giant," the Poor People’s Campaign on Tuesday unveiled plans to mobilize low-income voters in Texas and 30 other states ahead of the November election.

The Poor People's Campaign will stage simultaneous Saturday, March 2, marches on the Texas Capitol and on statehouses in battleground states including Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, members of the group said during a press call.

The marches will be the first coordinated actions in what the Poor People's campaign describes as a 41-week effort to mobilize 15 million poor and low-income voters nationwide. Among other demands, the group wants state and federal lawmakers to set a $15-an-hour living wage, expand voting rights and provide healthcare and affordable housing for all.

During Tuesday's call, members of the campaign cited Texas' refusal to take the federal Medicaid expansion and its continued imposition of burdensome voting rules as evidence voters must push for change. Roughly a third of Texas voters are poor or low-income, organizer Alexander Montalvo said.

"That means together we have the power to change the course of our state, and because of the size of our state, we also have the power to change the course of our nation," he said.

Organizers with the Poor People's Campaign tell national media they have 7,000 volunteers working to register new voters and ensure those already on the rolls make it to the polls. In addition to its statehouse marches, the organization plans to hold a Saturday, June 15 rally in Washington, D.C.

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