A National Voter Registration Rally held in Downtown Newark drew a small, passionate crowd of residents and community organizers determined to make their voices heard this election season. Watch video
NEWARK -- Donald Graham isn't thrilled with either presidential candidate this year, but that didn't stop the local Newark school teacher from dropping by the city's National Voter Registration Day rally Tuesday evening to make sure he'd be able to cast a ballot come Nov. 8.
The rally, held on the steps of the Essex County Courthouse, drew a small, passionate crowd of residents and community organizers determined to make their voices heard this election season.
"Neither one of the candidates are people I'd like to see president," Graham said. But, he continued, "if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain."
E. Denise Peoples, one of the organizers of the National Voter Registration Rally, makes a call to passersby on the street to come and register to vote 9/27/2016 (Michael Anthony Adams | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) "Everyone should get out and vote," said Karen Thomas, another Newark native who registered to vote Tuesday evening. "We need to be powerful in our own communities. We need people to help us to be strong and to do the things that we desire to do as a people, as a culture."
Graham was one of a handful of Newark residents that registered to vote at the rally, which featured live music and spoken-word performances.
Lynda Lloyd, coordinator for the New Jersey Prepared to Vote campaign, one of the event's sponsors, said she feels it's her responsibility to register as many people to vote as possible before the Oct. 18 deadline.
"We are here to rally, to perform, to raise the spirit and the consciousness of people to, not only register to vote, but also come out and vote in this November's election."
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