Gulfport community leaders host voting information event ahead of presidential election

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – On Sunday, Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Gulfport was packed with voters of all ages listening to community leaders talk about the importance of voting and the issues that may be concerning some.

“One of the most important things is: If you don't know that you have the right to represent yourself or speak for yourself … what are you doing?” said Rep. Jeffery Hulum III.

“There is a disconnect between the older and younger generations. We need to get our young people to vote. We need to start talking to them and educating them because there is so much misinformation on the internet,” said another speaker.

Alicia Netterville is the director of Acclivity Strategies and has been involved in civil rights issues for years. She believes voters need to know their rights.

“It's very important that people know their rights and know if they're registered to vote, but also that they know the entire system of voting rights,” Netterville said. “It's not enough for people to just vote in an election. People should be civically engaged, from the census to redistricting to voting in every election.”

Netterville said at the meeting that voters should not just focus on the presidential election, but on the entire ballot.

“We live in local spaces and we have representatives who represent us in those local spaces, and these are things that the president has no control over. All elections are important because each level of government functions differently and handles something different, but they all affect our lives,” Netterville said.

While candidates continue to campaign over the next two months, Netterville said voters should take time and make a plan for Election Day.

“It's not enough to just vote for a person who has a letter next to their name, or vote for the person your friends or colleagues are voting for. Please educate yourself on everyone who is on the ballot and research how they vote,” Netterville said. “Then compare what seems important to you, and then vote according to what is important to you.”

The deadline to register to vote in person is October 7. Absentee ballot registrations must also be postmarked by October 7. Visit the Secretary of State's website for more information.

It's also a good idea to make sure your ID is current before the polls open in November.

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