SPLC pushes Alabama voter turnout after redistricting fight

Ahead of the 2026 midterms, advocates with the Southern Poverty Law Center have been working to drive voter turnout across Alabama.

During a Thursday interview, Dana W. Vandiver, interim director of the SPLC’s Alabama state office, told APR that voting rights workers have been “all hands on deck” with initiatives seeking to engage prospective voters in the political process before November 3.

Ahead of the midterms, the organization has hosted four block party events and regional policy town halls seeking to drive voter registration, turnout and engagement as Alabamians prepare to head to the polls.

The SPLC-led voter engagement campaigns follow the Louisiana v. Callais verdict and the Legislature’s resulting May special session, which reshaped Alabama’s 2nd and 1st Congressional Districts, eliminated CD2’s status as a Black opportunity district and shifted the district to favor Republicans.

During the conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, Vandiver discussed SPLC’s We Decide: Alabama voter engagement initiative, common issues voters raised at engagement events across the state and how the Callais verdict has shifted voters’ attitudes ahead of Election Day.

Can you explain the We Decide: Alabama campaign and SPLC’s goals for the initiative?

So, the We Decide campaign was launched in the aftermath of the redistricting that happened in Alabama, and, you know, we found that there was, number one, a lot of confusion from people about what the new maps did. Were they included in the new district? Were they left out?

There was apathy and frustration because there was a lot of conversation around people’s votes being diluted. And for some people, they understood that to mean that their vote didn’t count anymore, right? So, we started that campaign as a response to that to educate people and also to kind of remind them that no matter what a map shows, you know, every person’s vote has equal weight, and you can overcome an unfair map with voter turnout. And so that has been the whole goal was to overcome apathy and disinformation, and to get people excited and fired up to get to the polls, and to increase turnout in Alabama.

What election season events has SPLC hosted, and what resources is the organization offering Alabama voters at the events?

Initially, we started off with a text-athon campaign where we texted voters all across Alabama, directing them to resources that were on the SPLC’s We Decide website. For example, some of the resources pointed people to how to check their voter registration status, how to get ready to vote, if registered to vote. If they weren’t, information about how to find out what is on your ballot, information about what the new maps look like and, you know, what areas were included in the new map, and which ones have been redrawn.

The next thing that we did was some door-to-door issue mining; canvassing is what we call it. We went door to door, asking people about the issues that they are most concerned about in their communities—trying to impress upon people that everyday kitchen-table issues, like gas prices, the cost of groceries, child care, health care and hospitals closing in rural counties, those all can be linked to decision-making by somebody who is being voted for on a ballot. And I think a lot of times people don’t really make that connection.

After the door-to-door canvassing, part of what we did was leave behind materials, again with how to register, how to check your status, this is when the election is, this is when the voter registration deadline is in Alabama, so they were educated. But we also left behind invitations for them to attend these huge block parties that we did. We did those in the month of September, and at four locations. We have community organizers in the Alabama state office, and they each are assigned two different regions of Alabama.

So, each organizer put on a black block party in their region. One of them was in Anniston. We had another one in Phenix City, one in Marion, and the other one was in Clarke County. They included line dancing and free food trucks and music and inflatables for the kids. At one of the ones that I attended, there was a chili cook-off and basketball tournament games with prizes for the kids.

And amidst all of the fun, we were educating people. We had a table where they could come and check their voter status on the spot. If they weren’t registered, we told them, you know, they could sign up to get registered right there. We even had people who had previously served time in jail or prison and weren’t sure about whether or not their rights were still intact. So, we had information for them about, you know, which crimes do take your voter status away, and which ones don’t, and the ones that you can get reinstated for, and information for them about how to go about getting their voter rights back.

How do you believe the Callais verdict has shaped this election season and voters’ attitudes, and how is the SPLC approaching voter education initiatives differently in light of that verdict?

I honestly think that it has had the opposite intent of what maybe those who wanted to redraw the maps wanted. It’s animated people. People are pissed. And in somewhere like Alabama, and particularly, Montgomery is part of that district that was redrawn—we know what happened in Montgomery, the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march. A lot of us have the right to vote today because of what people in this very state and city did some decades ago. And so, I think that people, like I said, are pissed and, you know, righteously angry and are voting with their voices.

For SPLC, one of the things that we’ve done differently really is, it’s just been all hands on deck across all of our departments in the voting rights space. Whether it’s planning the block party or a video to educate people on their voting rights, just really recognizing that it’s going to take all of us. And so that’s what we’ve been trying to do.

What are some methods SPLC recommends for Alabamians to stay informed ahead of elections and some resources available for voters in the state to educate themselves and keep active in the political process?

The voter guides—there are some organizations, nonpartisan, of course, that have put out some very informative voter guides, where people can not only look up their status, but also see what exactly is going to be on their ballot before they get there. They can check their polling place to know where to vote. We’ve been talking to people about making a plan to vote. You know, Alabama doesn’t really have tried-and-true early voting. You can vote in person using your absentee ballot, but you got to have a reason that’s listed to be able to do that.

Some people work really long shifts, and it’s not easy to get to the polls. So, we’ve been talking to people about, like, what is your plan? We know that you’re saying you’re going to vote, but do you have a ride? If you don’t have a ride, have you already talked to somebody about getting you to the polls? We’ve been encouraging people to call five people that they know. It’s not enough just to say you’re going to vote. You know, think about maybe that cousin that’s not very connected to what’s going on electorally and encourage them and call them on Election Day and make sure they’re voting. And if they don’t have a ride, go pick them up. So that’s kind of what we’ve been trying to impress upon Alabama’s residents.

Which key issues have you heard Alabamians emphasize ahead of the election? What issues is SPLC focusing on educating prospective voters about during this process?

The issues that we hear about this election season are the same issues that we’ve been hearing about over the last, I would say, six months to a year, and it really is affordability. People are struggling. The cost of everything has increased; the wages have not gone up. We’ve got the same minimum wage that we had [since 2009]. That’s insane, when you think about how much more anything that you’re going to buy in the grocery store costs now, and the fact that the wages have not kept up with the price or inflation, or affordable housing.

People can’t afford their rent, health care. Alabama has not expanded Medicaid. So, you know, not only can people not afford health care, but even if they don’t have insurance, there was a time when you could use Medicaid and go to the hospital and still be seen. But we’ve got people in rural areas where hospitals are closing, expectant moms that have to drive two hours to see an OB-GYN. But definitely the gas prices, the groceries, and the cost of housing—those are the issues that we are hearing about, you know, over and over again.

What’s your message to Alabama voters, particularly Alabamians who are considering sitting out this election, about the importance of using their voice at the polls?

I think it really goes back to what we’re saying about the We Decide campaign. The message is, if you sit this out, you are leaving your future and the issues that you care about up to someone else to decide for you, right? And so, every person in America who’s eligible to vote has one vote, and that vote represents their voice. You can be a billionaire; you could be someone who is displaced without a home; your vote counts the same as that billionaire.

We the people means we, the people. And to make democracy work, it takes all of us using the voices that we have been given at the polls. And then to take it a step further, we have really been stressing that Election Day is not the end; it is the beginning. Definitely go to the polls, but then once those elections are over, whether your candidate won or not, you still have the opportunity to hold your elected officials accountable. So, we’ve been trying to educate people about which positions make which decisions, for example, and letting them know to call them, write them. It doesn’t end at Election Day.

SPLC will host two additional policy town halls before Election Day in Phenix City and Camden. Alabamians interested in attending the events may register on the organization’s website.

The law center will also host a “Party at the Polls” event in Montgomery on Election Day at Alabama State University from 2 to 5 p.m.