RALEIGH, N.C. – The NAACP is moving into phase two of the "Black Voices Change Lives" campaign to bring more voters to the polls.

Volunteers across North Carolina are reaching out to eligible voters to reverse the trends from 2016. According to the Pew Research Center,  Black voter turnout declined for the first time in 20 years during that presidential election.

"The NAACP has declared that we are done dying," says volunteer Kelli Wilhelm. "Whether that be from COVID...whether it be through the judicial system."

Wilhelm has been volunteering with several organizations to raise awareness about voting since 2008. Now, she is home sending out hundreds of messages per minute to mobilize the vote.

"People are saying, 'We have to vote like our lives depend on it', like, it's not just a cliche," says Wilhelm. "Our lives depend on this election. So, it's important for me to make sure that I am engaging my neighbors and my fellow Black voters to get out and vote."

The NAACP is also running digital and radio ads to reach voters in 29 markets across 10 states. The ultimate goal is to raise Black voter turnout by at least five percent compared to the 2016 election.