Still, amid the national conversation on voting rights, the state has become a focus because of Sen. Joe Manchin, whose vote is critical to Democrats' ability to pass voting rights legislation in Congress. West Virginia is one of the three US states with a shrinking population, according to US Census data . The state's population is aging, and more people died than were born in West Virginia between 2010 and 2020. According to Deluca, the goal of his organizing is to get both Manchin and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to support federal voting rights legislation. Beyond Un-Pac West Virginia, organizers with Young West Virginia Forward, a youth-led racial justice organization, have for months worked to send a message to both Manchin and Capito that increasing voter accessibility is something that will benefit the lives of young West Virginians.

Source: CNN August 08, 2021 15:56 UTC