Vice President Harris announces $25 million for DNC voter registration efforts ahead of midterms

CNBC via MSN ^ | 7/08/21 | Brian Schwartz

[Libloather]

Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new $25 million investment by the Democratic National Committee to expand its program that will help get out the vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

The announcement, which took place on Thursday, comes as Harris and her team have been under scrutiny by allies and some of her own aides. Much of the frustration has been directed at Harris' chief of staff, Tina Flournoy. It also comes as Republicans draft and pass state laws that critics say restrict access to the ballot box.

Details of the DNC's updated "I Will Vote'" program, shared early with CNBC, suggests that the committee is trying to boost voter engagement going into the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election. The announcement highlights Harris' focus on voting rights as vice president, including meetings with members of Congress and advocates such as Stacey Abrams and Derrick Johnson, the CEO of the NAACP.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison touted the new resources in a statement. Harrison had previously announced a separate $20 million investment by the DNC into the same voting program.

"I've said time and again that the 'D' in Democrat stands for deliver, and today we are delivering innovative and historic resources to protect this fundamental part of our democracy," Harrison said.

The $25 million will partially go toward a new digital and TV ad campaign that the DNC says will focus, in part, on how to register to vote. The DNC says it will be partnering with social media creators across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to highlight what President Joe Biden and Democrats have achieved so far.

[Wiser now]

Walking money or fake ballots? Either way, cheating is expensive.