LAKELAND, Fla. — Every year, millions of eligible voters cannot cast a ballot because they are not registered or their information is outdated.
There is a push in Polk County to increase voter turnout, especially in the African American community.
The barbershop is a safe place for a lot of men. It is where they feel free to talk about any and everything.
“From politics to sports, to what local events are coming up and how the kids are doing,” said Kenneth Davis, owner of Second to None Barbershop.
For this reason, members of the Omicron Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. think the barbershop is the perfect place to get Black men registered to vote and have their voices heard.
“We’re here, we have a say, we care about our community. When we start showing up and turning out and voting, they will listen to some of the things that we as African Americans and other minorities of the community [say], and our concerns,” said LaTrice Moore, Vice President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Omicron Kappa Omega Chapter.
On National Voter Registration Day, the sorority held a voter registration drive at Second to None Barbershop in Lakeland.
The goal is to increase voter turnout among the African American community in Polk County, where Black people cast fewer ballots than other races. The disparity is even worse among Black men.
“In the 2022 general election here in Polk County, African Americans were only 10% of those who voted in the election, and only 4% of those were African American males,” said Moore.
They’re also making sure voters are up to date on the state’s voting laws.
“The law changed, so if you were a previous individual who voted by mail, you have to resubmit your paperwork to vote by mail,” Moore said.
It is all an effort to get people to exercise their right to vote when it matters the most.
“One question I always ask is, did you vote? Unfortunately, a lot of times, I get ‘no, I don’t see why my vote counts.’ Your vote counts,” Davis said.