Pastors Hold First in Series of Southwest Atlanta Voter Registration Drives

Boat Rock Baptist Church Pastor Reverend Albert Love enthused the crowd of 30 who attended the church's first voter education and registration rally Thursday evening.  Not perturbed by the small turnout, Reverend Love declared, “We will be doing other rallies.”

Under its Love In Action division, Boat Rock Baptist is spearheading a voter empowerment collaborative to encourage other churches throughout the Atlanta area – especially those in impoverished neighborhoods – to become more involved in local politics and affect community change. 

Church rallies, like Thursday's in initial gathering, provide information on the voting process, inspire people to use the process to empower their communities, and encourage meaningful involvement in local elections.
 
In Georgia, local and municipal elections are held every other odd year on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  State and national elections are held in even years and are more popular than odd year races, even though they can determine critical offices such municipal council members and mayors.

Reverend Love is critical of widespread church inaction in local politics, yet hopeful that participation will increase.

“Churches have not been doing enough,” Reverend Love said, commenting on what he deems a lack of political participation from churces.  Although, he added, “in many cases they haven't been given the tools to do this.”

'Maintain the Donut' is the voter empowerment collaborative's plan to change the status quo.  It references interstate highway I-285 and the cities inside and immediately outside its perimeter that will have local elections on Tuesday, November 8^th.  

Many of these cities have significant percentages of African-American voters who can elect officials to address their immediate concerns like neighborhood safety, waste disposal, and water and sewage issues – the “bread and butter” needs, according to Reverend Love.

The voting process, though, is already being compromised, warned William H. Boone, Associate Professor of Political Science at Clark Atlanta University and a rally speaker.  

 “A good many things are happening around the country and in Georgia to suppress the vote.” 

Boone shared that Georgia's voter identification requirement – upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court in March – will undoubtedly limit those who can vote.

Boone is also concerned that legislation mirroring Florida's law eliminating automatic restoration of voting and civil rights for nonviolent felons will take root in Georgia. 

Florida requires nonviolent felons to wait five years after release from prison before they can apply to the state clemency board to have their rights restored. 

But, applicants are not guaranteed restoration. “It is important for the people in the trenches to know this,” Boone stressed.

While voters must know of voting obstacles, rally keynote speaker Reverend Frank Brown, Pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Atlanta, insists that church leaders and members cannot be reluctant to participate.   “If you value a better tomorrow, it's time to get up!”