Page 5 - The TorchNovemberr 2019 (1)

We Rolled!

The Montgomery their platform. A
(AL) Alumnae texting service for
Chapter’s Rollin to people to find their
the Polls, a voting polling locations
initiative, started in and register to vote
2016 to help in- was also estab-
crease voter turnout lished through this
in marginalized platform. Ex-felons
communities. This who needed their
initiative focuses on voting rights re-
different voting stored used this
components such service as well to
as voter education, assist with the pro-
voter engagement, cess.
voter registration,
voting rights resto-
ration, and trans- On Election Day,
porting voters to the the Montgomery
polls on Election Day. There are over 20 part- (AL) Alumnae Chapter coordinated with Black
nering organizations that contribute to the suc- Voters Matter to have comedian Rickey Smiley
cess of this initiative such as: The Southern travel with sorors to different precincts in the
Poverty Law Center, American Civil Liberties city to motivate people to vote. As a result of
our work, we knocked on approximately 2,000
Union (ACLU), Black Voters Matters, Alpha doors, registered over 300 people, and trans-
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Links. ported 127 voters to the polls. For the first time
in almost 200 years citizens of Montgomery,
This work is year- Alabama have
round and embraces overwhelming
all levels of politics elected its first
including the recent Black Mayor. We
Municipal Election. will start preparing
We began educating for the 2020 elec-
and training sorors, tion on December
our partners, and 7, 2019, with our
volunteers as early next volunteer
as February 2, training session.
2019. Once training The Montgomery
was completed the (AL) Alumnae
following months Chapter continues
were dedicated to to be on the move
conducting voter by providing im-
registration drives, canvassing neighborhoods, pactful service to the community we serve by
and hosting candidate forums for mayoral and “Rollin to the Polls” look out candidates here we
city council candidates. In addition to the can- come!
didate forums, we created Election Guides that
provided information on each candidate and