With only 80 days until election day, the Louisville Urban League, in partnership with local faith leaders, community organizations, and coalitions, is making a major push to turn out voters. In January, the League launched the Power Shift, a nonpartisan voter messaging and mobilization campaign designed to build an organized and unignorable voting bloc across Jefferson County.

The Power Shift encourages residents to turn awareness into action, starting with a pledge. The goal is to get 52,000 Black voters to commit to voting in November and boost overall turnout by at least 3%. Over 400,000 Jefferson County voters stayed home during the May primary. Over 350,000 (54%) did not vote in the 2022 midterm.

Identifying the Problem

“We don’t have a voter registration problem in Kentucky; we have a turnout problem, and if we are going to shift the balance of power into the hands of the people, we need the collective action of an organized community,” said Lyndon Pryor, President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League. “The Power Shift is about ensuring that every resident recognizes the power of their vote in shaping local budgets, public safety, housing policy, and the future of our neighborhoods.”

Pillars of The Power Shift:

• Cultivation and Invitation: Meeting voters where they are through targeted messaging, relational outreach, door-to-door canvassing, and phone banking.
• Information and Education: Hosting nonpartisan forums, town halls, and candidate discussions to ensure voters are informed about local issues.
• Mobilization: Partnering with local faith communities and other organizations (Souls to the Polls) to maximize reach and participation. Utilizing digital organizing tools and volunteer teams to build sustained civic engagement.
• Activation: Election Day and early vote turnout.

Through a targeted initiative called Souls to the Polls, the campaign is harnessing the power of local organizations, neighborhood groups, and faith communities as mobilization partners to host education sessions and encourage neighbors to pledge to participate. There are more than twenty local churches and several community groups already participating.

“In an age when public policies are pushing us further from Christ’s vision for a more just and equitable world, voting is one avenue through which we can exercise our faith and put legs to the prayers we pray for our city and this nation,” said Rev. Darien Waite, Senior Pastor of Green Castle Baptist Church.

Public Forums

Building on this momentum of community involvement, the campaign is creating direct opportunities for residents to engage with those seeking office. The next set of events for the Power Shift is a series of forums for JCPS Board candidates. With the recent state legislative changes shaping a brand-new five-district map, this election represents a pivotal moment for the future of Jefferson County Public Schools, students, and the community. To give constituents a meaningful opportunity to hear directly from you, the Louisville Urban League and our community partners are hosting a series of public candidate forums, one for each district, in August.

• District 1: Tuesday, August 18, at 6 PM | Central High School (1130 W Chestnut St, Louisville, KY 40203)
• District 2: Wednesday, August 19, at 6 PM | W.E.B. DuBois High School (4929 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, KY 40213)
• District 3: Thursday, August 20, at 6 PM | Eastern High School (12400 Old Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40243)
• District 4: Tuesday, August 25, at 6 PM | Fern Creek High School (9115 Fern Creek Rd, Louisville, KY 40291)
• District 5: Wednesday, August 26, at 6 PM | Iroquois High School (4615 Taylor Blvd, Louisville, KY 40215)

The forums will be nonpartisan, strictly timed, and guided by neutral moderators. Questions will focus on pressing issues facing JCPS, including district operations, student outcomes, and community engagement. 

“In education and every other issue that matters in our community,” said Pryor. “The power to determine what is and what will be should rest with the people. And it does, but we have to use it and use it wisely.”

To pledge to vote, learn more about joining the Power Shift, or become a “Souls to the Polls” partner organization, visit thepowershiftky.org or contact policy@lul.org. 

About the Louisville Urban League
The Louisville Urban League assists Black people and those at the margins in attaining social and economic equality and stability through direct services and advocacy. For more information, visit lul.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads.