The countdown is on for the November 4 elections and the push is on to get every voter to the polls.
One group is taking it to the streets in Lakeland, going door to door encouraging people to make their voices heard.
By Election Day, volunteers will have hit over 15,000 houses in Polk County, targeting low-income and minority areas. The group doesn’t push any particular candidate, but political analysts say there is some strategy to this, and it could make all the difference in this close election.
The Young American Dreamers partnered with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, canvassing neighborhoods in Polk County, hitting at least 250 houses per day, for two months straight.
“One of the things we know here in Polk County is that there’s not that many in the African-American community and the Hispanic community who come out to vote percentage wise, so that’s what we’re doing," said Daniel Barajas, Executive Director of the Young American Dreamers. "They’re the ones that feel their voice doesn’t matter."
But according to Bay News 9 Democratic Political Analyst Ana Cruz, their voices may matter the most in this election.
“It is such a close race between Charlie Crist and Rick Scott," Cruz said. "The polls everywhere are saying 39-39, 40-40. This is going to come down to Election Day. This is going to come down to groups like this, and they’re all over the state, many groups are doing this, knocking on doors and getting people to the polls."
Getting people in Polk County along the I-4 corridor is crucial, she says, and whoever wins these votes will likely win this election. From now until then, Barajas says he will be out with his crew, making sure everyone knows to vote.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition is doing a similar initiative in Miami-Dade County.