Protesters in front of Milwaukee’s City Hall on National Voter Registration Day let me be known who they don’t want to be the next President of the United States. The protesters held signs demonstrating the opposition to Mitt Romney and his ‘Bain’ connections and his recent statements on the 47 percent of Americans that he rejects. (Photo by Robert A. Bell)
Throughout Milwaukee voter registration events were held on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in recognition of National Voter Registration day. Members of the African American Civic Engagement Roundtable joined thousands of community organizations across the country participating in National Voter Registration Day. After a brief media conference, participants registered voters and collected voter pledge cards at community health centers, check cashing stores, barber- shops, and corner stores across the city.
The “Silent No More” civic engagement program is a nonpartisan effort that seeks to increase the African American vote share by engaging drop-off and non-traditional voters. These voters include new voters, voters who have moved since the last election, and voters who voted for the first time in 2008 and haven’t voted since.
“Our efforts focus on a targeted population of eligible voters who may not have traditional access to information regarding how to register to vote and what is needed in order to cast a ballot in the state of Wisconsin. We are committed to making sure that every eligible Milwaukee voter has all of the tools needed to cast a ballot on November 6th”, said Mike Wilder, Director of the African-American Roundtable.
National Voter Registration Day is the first in a series of events designed to encourage voter participation in the local African American community. Members of the African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable include Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund, ATU Local 998, The Transit Riders Union, The Advancement Project, The League of Young Voters Education Fund, 9to5 Milwaukee, Urban Underground, True Skool, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, Reproductive Justice Collective, MICAH, NAACP Milwaukee Chapter, Afro World Enterprises, Center for Progressive Leadership, and 100 Black Women. The news conference kicked off National Voter Registration Day at Parklawn YMCA, 4340 N. 46th Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53216. Speakers included: Nikiya Harris, Milwaukee County Supervisor, Kinah Morgan, Organizer, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, Anita Johnson, Organizer, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund and Mike Wilder, African-American Roundtable Director.