(ThyBlackMan.com) This week many Americans will be going to the polls to cast their ballot in this year’s midterm election. The importance of a midterm elections, some believe, is that it is a referendum on the popularity of the standing president and his policies.
This epic battle is played out in grandiose style on television commercials, radio ads, as well as flyers and brightly colored political posters that adorn otherwise barren walls and open fields throughout cities and counties across the nation. It is with great hope that candidates of every persuasion spend mountains of money on well-crafted and slick advertisements that will hopefully make you commit the very intimate act of choosing their name when you’re in the ballot box.
This same kind of hope that drives Cory, a young African American voter registration volunteer who stands in the front of a local supermarket armed with nothing more than a fold-up ironing board and blank voter registration form.
“I’ve had three people sign-up so far today,” he states with the youthful idealism that often accompanies the zeal of someone who knows in their heart that they’re making a difference.
He stands alone, behind a fold-up ironing board attempting to make playful small-talk with people as they enter the store. Management has told him that it’s okay for him to be there as long as he doesn’t promote either a product or a political party. He does neither. His goal is just to sign up as many people as he can to vote.
“It’s really simple. Literally it takes less than two-minutes to fill out the form and sign your name. I don’t get into partisan politics because, at the end of the day, all that matters is that people make their voices heard,” he said.
Out of the corner of his eye he catches an older woman walking towards the entrance. It’s show time.
“Excuse me ma’am, I couldn’t help but notice you’re bringing your own shopping bags. Thank you,” he says.
The older woman, at first startled by his forwardness, smiles and continues to walk into the entrance.
“Would you like to register to vote today,” he asks as she continues to walk away like she didn’t hear him.
Unfazed by her response he continues straightening his stack of voter registration cards. “She’s probably already registered,” he assures himself.
What made him start to do this, he says, was a statistic that he heard in his political science class he’s in at the local junior college.
“The needs of the black community are so under-represented. Our voices are never heard because not enough of us are making a difference at the ballot box. Look at what happened when we got behind President Obama. His election changed the way campaigns are run. Now candidates know they have to listen to what we have to say. The problem is that not enough of us are saying it.”
Suddenly he grabs a voter registration form and darts towards the parking lot. A man emerged from the door furthest away from where Cory’s stand was.
“You said you were coming back to see me,” he yells as he approaches the man. It’s all in fun as he and the guy start talking and shake hands. Cory is listening intently as the man is fidgeting for his keys with one hand while holding a grocer bag with the other. After a few moments Cory returns with a smile on his face, voter registration form still in hand, unsigned.
“He said he had a criminal record and can’t vote.” He starts to replenish his stack of voter registration forms. The smile that was on his face as he came back to his station has faded and the enthusiasm in his voice is now gone.
“I set up my ironing board at the beach last week. The line was so long that I ran out of forms in less than 2 hours. I was happy that people wanted to vote, but sad at the same time because I could count the amount of black people who registered that day on one hand.”
According to Cory, on a typical day at this location he will have registered less than a dozen people. He’s usually there for 4 hours out of the day, in the same spot and has been for the past several weeks. The vast majority of people who do fill out the forms are doing so in order to send notification of an address change. The younger generation, he says, doesn’t seem motivated to get involved with voting. The ones that do are often students and female.
“Listen, this is my community. I understand that a lot of us don’t vote because we’re tired of being let down. I get it. But, after the election is over someone is going to be sitting in an office that is supposed to represent the needs of our community. If we throw that right away why complain when it’s too late?”
Two young men walk out of the store and come over to where he is standing. They talk for a few moments and then Cory hands them a pen and a registration form. They begin to fill them out while Cory stands in front of them.
“Who’s going to save our own community? Nobody else can do for us what we need to do for ourselves. Holding those officials whose decisions affect our lives is our job. Voting isn’t the only way to do that, but it’s one of the legs that hold up the table of justice. Without that leg the entire table will crumble.”
(Writers note: After standing there for 3 hours before he had to go to class Cory registered 3 more voters for a total of 5 people.)
Staff Writer; Steven Robinson
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