Harris urges Black churchgoers in Georgia to head out to vote and gets an assist from Stevie Wonder

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Kamala Harris on Sunday summoned Black churchgoers to turn out at the polls and got a big assist from music legend Stevie Wonder, who rallied congregants with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song."

Harris visited two Atlanta area churches as part of a nationwide push known as “souls to the polls." It's a mobilization effort led by the National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders, which is sending representatives across battleground states to encourage early voting.

After services, buses took congregants straight to early polling places.

At both churches, Harris delivered a message about kindness and lifting people up rather than insulting them, trying to set up an implicit contrast with Republican Donald Trump's brash style. With just 16 days left until Election Day, Harris is running out of time to get across her message to a public still getting to know her after a truncated campaign.

“There is so much at stake right now,” she said at the Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro. “We understand for us to do good works, it means to do it in the spirit of understanding that our strength is not based on who we beat down, as some would try to suggest. Our strength is based on who we lift up. And that spirit is very much at stake in these next 16 days.”

Wonder led the crowd in singing his version of “Happy Birthday" to the vice president, who turned 60 on Sunday. When he was done, she appeared to choke up, saying, “I love you so much.”

Wonder grinned and said “don’t cry" before telling the crowd how important it was for people to get out and vote.

“We’re going to make the difference between yesterday and tomorrow,” he said.

Harris later said that she “had to check off a whole big one” on her bucket list because of Wonder singing her a birthday song, which prompted the singer to spring up and lead the congregation in a quick verse of ”Higher Ground."

Pastor Donald Battle said of the election: “Georgia's gonna be the state that turns it for the vice president.”

“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.

Black church congregations across the country have undertaken get-out-the-vote campaigns for years. In part to counteract voter suppression tactics that date back to the Jim Crow era, early voting in the Black community is stressed from pulpits nearly as much as it is by candidates.

In Georgia, early voting began on Tuesday, and more than 310,000 people voted on that day, more than doubling the first-day total in 2020. A record 5 million people voted in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Earlier Sunday, the Democratic presidential nominee attended New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, where the congregation also sang “Happy Birthday.”

New Birth Pastor Jamal Bryant called the vice president “an American hero, the voice of the future” and “our fearless leader.” He also used his sermon to welcome the idea of America electing its first woman president, saying, “It takes a real man to support a real woman.”

“When Black women roll up their sleeves, then society has got to change,” Bryant said.

Harris referenced scripture as she promoted the importance of loving one's neighbor, and then drew a contrast to the current political environment.

“In this moment, across our nation, what we do see are some who try to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” Harris told the congregation. “The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.”

One congregant who got a hug from Harris was 98-year-old Opal Lee, an activist who pushed to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.

Harris is a Baptist. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. She has said she’s inspired by the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and influenced by the religious traditions of her mother’s native India as well as the Black Church. Harris sang in the choir as a child at Twenty-Third Avenue Church of God in Oakland.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended church in Saginaw, Michigan, and his wife, Gwen, headed to a service in Las Vegas.

Also Sunday, Harris sat for an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton and was asked about the idea that she might see her support slipping among Black men — some of whom might be reluctant to vote for a woman for president. Former President Barack Obama suggested that might be an issue during a recent campaign stop for Harris in Pittsburgh.

Harris said she had garnered support from many key Black male leaders, adding, “there’s this narrative about what kind of support we are receiving from Black men that is just not panning out in reality.”

On Monday, she will campaign with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Attendees sing "Happy Birthday" as Stevie Wonder performs for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' birthday during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

An attendee holds a campaign fan before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

An attendee holds a campaign fan before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" to Harris during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as she is surprised by campaign staff with birthday decorations on Air Force Two before departing Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, en route to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn, Martin, Pool)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaks with Stevie Wonder after he sang "Happy Birthday" to Harris during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a church service New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees clap as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves to the congregation as she arrives to speak at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A protester, center, demonstrates as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen during a church service at New Birth Baptist Church before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and pastor Jamal Bryant arrive at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, greets attendees as she arrives at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees sit during a church service at New Birth Baptist Church before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees sing during a service at New Birth Baptist Church before democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris high-fives people in the crowd after speaking at a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and Space X and owner of X who's gone all-in on Republican Donald Trump's candidacy for the White House, has already committed at least $70 million to help the former president. Now he's pledging to give away $1 million to voters for signing his political action committee's petition backing the Constitution.

The giveaway is raising questions and alarms among some election experts who say it is a violation of the law to link a cash handout to signing a petition that also requires a person to be registered to vote.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, the state's former attorney general, expressed concern about the plan on Sunday.

“I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. That is deeply concerning," he said on NBC' “Meet the Press.”

A closer look at what's going on:

Musk promised on Saturday that he would give away $1 million a day, until the Nov. 5 election, for people signing his PAC's petition supporting the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, and the Second Amendment, with its right “to keep and bear arms.” He awarded a check during an event Saturday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to a man identified as John Dreher. A message left with a number listed for Dreher was not returned Sunday. He gave out another check Sunday.

Musk’s America PAC has launched a tour of Pennsylvania, a critical election battleground. He's aiming to register voters in support of Trump, whom Musk has endorsed. The PAC is also pushing to persuade voters in other key states. It’s not the first offer of cash the organization has made. Musk has posted on X, the platform he purchased as Twitter before renaming it, that he would offer people $47 — and then $100 — for referring others to register and signing the petition.

Trump, who was campaigning Sunday in Pennsylvania, was asked about Musk's giveaway, and said, “I haven't followed that.” Trump said he “speaks to Elon a lot. He's a friend of mine” and called him great for the country.

Some election law experts are raising red flags about the giveaway. Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance lawyer, said the latest iteration of Musk’s giveaway approaches a legal boundary. That’s because the PAC is requiring registration as a prerequisite to become eligible for the $1 million check. “There would be few doubts about the legality if every Pennsylvania-based petition signer were eligible, but conditioning the payments on registration arguably violates the law,” Fischer said in an email.

Rick Hasen, a UCLA Law School political science professor, went further. He pointed to a law that prohibits paying people for registering to vote or for voting. “If all he was doing was paying people to sign the petition, that might be a waste of money. But there’s nothing illegal about it,” Hasen said in a telephone interview. “The problem is that the only people eligible to participate in this giveaway are the people who are registered to vote. And that makes it illegal.”

Michael Kang, an election law professor at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law, said the context of the giveaway so close to Election Day makes it harder to make the case that the effort is anything but a incentivizing people to register to vote.

“It’s not quite the same as paying someone to vote, but you’re getting close enough that we worry about its legality,” Kang said.

A message seeking comment was left with the PAC on Sunday, as was a request for comment from the Justice Department.

Typically coordination between campaigns and so-called super PACs had been forbidden. But a recent opinion by the Federal Election Commissioner, which regulates federal campaigns, permitted candidates and these groups to work together in certain cases, including getting out the vote efforts.

Elon Musk speaks at Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Elon Musk speaks at Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks at Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Elon Musk speaks at Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)