Richmond’s religious and civic groups united Sunday to bring congregations and residents to the ballot box as part of the Souls to the Polls initiative organized by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

First Baptist Church of South Richmond, Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church, the Masjid Bilal mosque and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church were among the churches and organizations who contributed volunteers, transportation and support to the effort to bring people to polling locations throughout the city.

The event was a festive one, as people cast their ballots and socialized, with a fish fry, food trucks and music present across multiple locations.

The initiative is not the first to use the Souls to the Polls name, as noted by primary organizer Robert Lester, who works with VICPP as their civic engagement coordinator. The phrase has been part of efforts by Black churches throughout the South to gather and encourage people to vote for decades, and has been used by other organizations for similar ends.

With early voting sites open for a special weekend, a decline in early voting in 2024 compared to previous years and the need to accommodate the lives and jobs of citizens, organizers saw an opportunity to ensure the public’s part in the elections.

“We just want the people to come out and vote,” said Lester, who is collaborating with the VICPP to continue promoting voting and civic engagement after the event. “That’s the only thing that matters.”

The results of the initiative have paid off, with 997 people voting in person in Richmond on Sunday according to the Virginia Public Access Project, almost doubling numbers for the last Sunday voting opportunity in 2022, where an average of around 500 residents cast ballots.

Virginia Interfaith’s work to encourage early voting came as controversy continues to surround the state’s voting operations ahead of Election Day. Days after the event, the Supreme Court allowed the Youngkin administration to continue its purge of voter registrations for at least 1,600 people in Virginia, an effort the state claims is aimed at stopping non-citizens from voting.