NATCHEZ — The Natchez branch of the NAACP is hoping November’s highly anticipated presidential election will help spur the unregistered to sign up during their ongoing voter registration drive.

The NAACP, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Natchez Business and Civic League along with Macedonia Baptist Church are teaming up to promote voter registration by setting up booths around the city and going door-to-door.

Phillip West, chairman of the NAACP’s political action committee, said the local NAACP has had voter registration drives in the past from time to time, but this year’s drive, he said, is part of a statewide endeavor by the Mississippi State Conference NAACP.

West said the Natchez NAACP is targeting lower income neighborhoods with the door-to-door registration because he said typically that is where fewer people are registered to vote.

“We are targeting specific neighborhoods because we have some information that has been provided that shows certain areas where more persons are not registered to vote,” West said. “Presidential elections seem to attract more people, so we’re trying to take advantage of that and help people get registered.”

The local branch’s goal, West said, is to get at least 700 voters registered in the next few months, but he said there are far more people out there not registered to vote.

West said the NAACP volunteers can turn in the forms for voters, or voters can choose to mail in the forms or drop them off at the city clerk’s office or courthouse themselves.

The NAACP will have voter registration tables at Walmart, Natchez High School and the Adams County jail.

Door-to-door registration will start at Cemetery Road and go through Maple, New, Wall, Elm and North Union streets and also at the Zydeco festival in Sibley and at the Minorville Jubilee on July 28.

The NAACP will also target College subdivision, Mayfair subdivision, Stiers Lane, Rankin, Bishop, Woodlawn, Beaumont and all public housing.

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the voter registration drive should contact West at 807-0754, Jacqueline Marsaw at 601-443-3630 or Emma Rose Jackson at 601-442-0017.