“Souls to the Polls” as an idea traces back to the Civil Rights Movement. The Rev. George Lee, a Black entrepreneur from Mississippi, was killed by white supremacists in 1955 after he helped nearly 100 Black residents register to vote in the town of Belzoni. The cemetery where Lee is buried has served as a polling place.

Kamala Harris courted Black churchgoers in Georgia after telling Christian protesters, "You're at the wrong rally," and skipping a Catholic charity dinner.