NAACP Mobilizing Virginia Youth ahead of April 21st Redistricting Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 10, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

RICHMOND - On Monday, April 13th, the NAACP Youth & College Division will launch a dedicated Week of Action across Virginia to mobilize young voters ahead of the April 21st Special Election redistricting referendum. NAACP is calling on students, young professionals, and first-time voters across the Commonwealth to vote YES on the Proposed Redistricting Amendment and to bring their peers with them to the polls.

"College students and young professionals in Virginia are paying attention and are showing up," said Tylik McMillan, Director of the NAACP Youth & College Division. "We're watching in real time as Trump's policies have raised the cost of living, gutted public education, and now try they're trying to rig the maps so they never have to answer for any of it. Not on our watch. We're on college campuses, in communities, and at the polls. The next generation of leaders will not be silent while the architecture of our democracy is dismantled. We will be the ones who save it."

This Week of Action, running to April 17th, spans voter education, direct activation, and turnout protection heading into Election Day. It is part of the NAACP's full-spectrum statewide campaign backing the temporary redistricting measure as a direct response to extremist efforts across the country to erode democracy by limiting voting power and locking in political control ahead of the November midterms.

The NAACP Youth and College Division Week of Action (April 12-17) includes:

• Virginia 411 Virtual Info Call: A statewide virtual briefing providing students and young voters with plain-language information on the redistricting referendum, voting dates and deadlines, and how to take action in their communities.
• Instagram Live Events: A series of live conversations featuring NAACP youth leaders and faith voices, including prominent clergy allies, and NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke.
• Campus Door-Knocking & Direct Student Outreach: Trained NAACP volunteers will canvass college campuses across Virginia, meeting students where they live and study to deliver voting information and the YES message face to face.
• Dorm Storm & Party to the Polls: An early vote event hosted at Virginia Commonwealth University that moves students directly from campus to the polls, removing barriers and making voting a collective, celebratory act
• Direct Voter Contact - A high-volume phone banking and canvassing program activating NAACP student volunteers, alongside local activists.

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About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund - also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.