Page 5 - Torch - March 2020

Rollin to the Polls Voting Initiative
Educates and Mobilizes Voters
for Alabama Primary

With the elections so critical to our community, the
Rollin to the Polls Voting Initiative (RTTP) stepped up
their efforts to register, educate, and mobilize citizens
to vote ahead of the March 3rd primary. Directed under
the Political Awareness and Involvement Committee,

RTTP partnered with several organizations such at the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Southern Pov-
erty Law Center (SPLC), Legal Defense Fund (LDF),
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and many others to
conduct voter registration drives and a voting rights
restoration clinic to help ex-offenders restore their right

to vote.

RTTP also conducted candidate forums on a majority
of the local primary races: Montgomery County Com-
mission, Montgomery County School Board, Circuit
Court Judicial, and District Court Judicial. With input
from the community, candidates in all the races were
fielded questions prepared by the moderators; Soror

Kynesha Brown, chair of the Political Awareness and the rain, turnout was steady and averaged around
Involvement Committee; Dillon Nettles, Policy Analyst 32%. After the March 3 primary, voter registration and
of the American Civil Liberties Union; and JaTaune mobilizations efforts will resume until November 3,
Bosby, Developmental Director of the American Civil 2020, in preparation for the general election to choose
Liberties Union. Each forum was held every week the President of the United States, congressional

during the month of February to allow residents of seats, and the state school board of education seat
Montgomery to meet and hear candidates, discuss formally held by the late Soror Ella Bell. During this
their platforms and ideas. Between the three forums, election cycle, RTTP was able to register 365 new vot-
over 400 residents of Montgomery attended. ers and assisted in restoring the voting rights to over 32
individuals. RTTP will expand efforts to engage resi-
To mobilize and engage residents to vote, RTTP spent
dents in Autauga and Elmore counties. If you are inter-
time canvassing in several neighborhoods – knocking
ested in volunteering with the Rollin to the Polls Voting
on over 1,000 doors. A social media campaign to
Initiative or would like more information, please contact
educate the public on constitutional Amendment 1 –
Soror Kynesha Brown at Kynesha.brown@gmail.com.
which would dissolve the elected State School Board of
Education if enacted – was also used.

On Election Day, volunteers with RTTP weathered the
storms to drive dozens of voters to the polls. Despite