Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
DETROIT – With Election Day approaching, churches in Detroit are encouraging people to go from the “pews to the polls,” making sure every voice is heard. ---> DDOT to provide free bus rides to polls on Election Day The Lift Every Voice and Vote Detroit campaign is working to inspire and educate residents in hopes of raising voter turnout in the city. “It’s a right that we often take for granted, but in local politics, state, and national, how we vote, who we support, makes a tremendous difference in the quality of our lives,” said Darius Jones, president of the National Black Empowerment Council. The message to get out to the polls is being shared at multiple churches across Detroit, including Citadel of Praise. “In this community, a lot of us don’t vote, so to push it through the church,” said Rachell Robinson, church administrator and coordinator for Citadel of Praise. “In Citadel, we have a big calling towards people so I feel that it is very important for us to get out and vote and show Detroit what we can do.” Al Williams, director for Lift Every Voice and Vote, acknowledged Detroit’s history of struggling with voter turnout but said he’s ready to change that. “Our goal is to get each church to 100 percent voting record and we think if we do that through specific churches then the overall voter turnout for the city of Detroit will increase and that’s extremely important because our issues are important, our children are important, our future is important and democracy is really hanging by a thread and we need to save it by showing up,” Williams said. Some Detroiters have already done their part by voting early. “My grandparents fought for me to vote. They were down south and weren’t allowed to vote and they got out and encouraged me,” said Ronald Baltimore, who attends Citadel of Praise. “They say it’s one thing that you got, it’s your vote, and if you don’t cast it, you will never be heard.” Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls close at 8 p.m.
