Black Votes Matter expanding efforts in Omaha during final push for election

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - North Omaha resident Tim Johnson says he doesn’t see the point in voting.

“I’ve been down here for 30 years,” Johnson said. “It’s been the same thing, year after year after year, no matter how many Black people get elected. It’s going to be the same struggle.”

Brian Kent said he understands that sentiment, but that that doesn’t deter him.

In fact, he’s already voted via absentee ballot.

“I don’t like what most of them stand for either, but I still vote because everybody’s got an opinion,” Kent said.

That’s the attitude the group Black Votes Matter Institute of Community Engagement has been working to grow in the community.

One year ago, it kicked off its campaign to get more North Omaha residents to vote in the 2024 election.

“It makes a difference who’s in office,” said its president, Pastor T. Michael Williams. “It makes a difference in terms of policy. It makes a difference in terms of who they’ll listen to, who they’re listening to already... And one of the key things for us to remember is it is important for us to stay engaged. We don’t vote and go home. No, we vote and we follow up to see what those who are elected are doing.”

The goal was to get 15,000 new North Omaha voters registered by the 2024 election cycle and have a 60 percent turnout in the primary.

It fell short of both those goals this past spring. However, Williams said they’re still aiming for a 70 percent turnout for the general election.

“We want the biggest turnout we can get,” Williams said.

Black Votes Matter said it has a little more than 6,000 new registrations at this time.

Up until this spring, they’d been canvassing Legislative Districts 11 and 13 by knocking on doors and sending emails and text messages.

They’ve since added more people to help with going door to door, and are also broadening to other areas across the city.

“We’ve increased our mobilization in terms of partnering with different entities in the community for voter registration,” said Get Out the Vote Summit director Pastor Dwayne Hawkins. “Just today, we just completed our voter registration here at park north tower, and we are making our way through every OHA tower, conducting voter registration.”

Hawkins said they’re continuing voter registration events through the deadline this Friday.

Black Votes Matter and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Metropolitan Omaha will also be offering rides to the polls.

They are still looking for volunteers to help with both of those efforts. If you’re interested in getting involved, send an email to pastorhawkins@weareantiochomaha.org.

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