TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Amina Kamau has been part of the NAACP Tallahassee Branch's efforts to get more people registered to vote and vaccinated since the beginning of September when the "Vax and Vote" initiative fist started.
"We definitely want to find out both answers because their both very important," said Kamau. "And if they're not vaccinated and they kind of have some sort of hesitancy. It's not really for me to talk that out with them, I just want to make sure they have that information to make that decision."
The Griffin Heights Neighborhood, where the NAACP focused their canvassing efforts Saturday morning, saw a 51 percent voter turnout during the 2020 general election, a lower turnout compared to other precincts in the area.
Using this method, organizers can focus their efforts on stressing the importance on registering to vote while providing vaccine information to a hesitant community.
NAACP Tallahassee President Mutaqee Akbar explains that the information that their handing out.
"Where they can go to get the vaccine, but also finding out if they're registered, registered at the right address and getting them registered at the same time."
The initiative is being funded from a series of grants offered by the County vaccination task force in which they provided up to $5,000 dollars for organizations to combat vaccine hesitancy and reach community members like Val Grissom.
Although already vaccinated and registered to vote, she understands the need for the work organizations like the NAACP are doing to dispel vaccine rumors and get people to the polls.
"It's very important and a very big deal. As we know the African American Community has suffered the most with the virus," said Grissom.
Suffering that makes the need for community outreach that much more important.
"We need to come together because these are just the times we are in and we have to act as a community and come together so we can get out of this as fast as possible," said Grissom.
The Tallahassee NAACP says they are planning continuing with their "Vax and Vote" initiative until the end of October. The organization says they average about 10 voter registration forms per week.
