|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A week before early voting begins in New York, Rochester-area residents will join in a nationwide voter registration event this Saturday with “No Kings: Vote Early” around the Edgerton neighborhood as well as other locations in the region.
The Edgerton No Kings event aims to increase election participation by connecting residents with nonpartisan voting information and offering voter registration services. Local participating organizations include civic, labor, and faith groups who say that this effort is important to keep elections free and fair.
“We are working to ensure every voice can be heard at the ballot box in this critical election year,” says Tracey Harrison, event co-emcee and vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “Many Americans are experiencing extraordinary hardship and fear. This moment is about making sure everyone uses their voting power for the future they want for their families, their communities, and their country.”
“When people are concerned that their issues aren’t being addressed, well, it’s because they did not use their voice. So we want to make sure they’re doing that,” says Candice Lucas, senior vice president of equity and advocacy at the Urban League of Rochester. “Our representatives should not be selected by 10% of the populace. When we have candidates being elected with 400 votes, that’s just crazy.
“This is our right as citizens in this country. This is our duty as citizens of a democracy,” she adds. “Our vote is our power.”
Following a brief rally by the organizers, attendees will conduct direct outreach to register voters and promote early voting. The event has an engagement target of 3,000 households, divided among some 100 teams of paired volunteers. Additional voting information as well as other services, such as assistance with housing, health care, and workforce development, will also be available at Edgerton Stardust Ballroom, the event’s epicenter.
Harrison says that organizers are focused on connecting with neighborhoods most affected by the Trump administration’s policies and that Edgerton was selected as the focus for this event based on its low voter turnout.
According to Monroe County Board of Elections records, the legislative district covering Edgerton consistently has among some of the county’s lowest turnout numbers. In the last presidential election, 42% of registered voters voted in the district, tied with the legislative district covering the Upper Falls neighborhood for the lowest turnout. Over the last 15 years, turnout has averaged 29%.
Registering is simply the first step, a fact residents do not always realize, Lucas says. Many people with jobs or caregiving responsibilities also need to plan to vote, which makes it important to share information about early voting and absentee ballots.
She also believes political participation goes beyond the actual vote. Being aware of political offices and voting in local elections, such as for school board, county legislator, or mayor, as well as being informed of candidates’ positions, is part of the work.
“Many times people vote for people in a party, and they have no clue who they’re voting for or why, other than the fact that it’s the same color, animal or letter,” Lucas says. “So, we want them to do a little bit more research. If your issue is health care, then you should be looking at candidates who care about the same issues that you do, and who have solutions to the challenges that you’re facing.
“But when someone is elected, regardless of if they’re the person you voted for or not, then we have to hold them accountable,” she adds. “We have to help them live up to their promises. We have to let them know that we’re serious about our issues, and that we’re watching and following up. That’s how this democracy is supposed to work.”
To address this issue, the event will approach voter engagement in a multipronged fashion. Canvassers will connect residents with registration services and information designed to combat misinformation and the complexity of voting laws.
Lucas says one common misconception she hears about is confusion about different states’ laws. A news headline about Georgia making it illegal to hand out food or water while in line to vote was misconstrued as being about New York in one resident’s mind for example.
The Urban League feels this type of voter engagement is part of its legacy as a civil rights organization and has been conducting similar campaigns since May. The organization will also conduct more outreach in the Genesee Street area on Oct. 21 and host a “Golden Day” event on Oct. 24, the final day to register to vote for the 2026 election.
“This is in our DNA,” says Lucas. “We want to make sure that we’re continuing to live up to that legacy and do everything that we can to make sure that our community is educated, they’re informed, they’re aware of their rights, and that they have the opportunity to exercise their rights.”
“No Kings: Vote Early” will be held Saturday in the Stardust Ballroom at Edgerton Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other No Kings events will take place in Gates, Henrietta, Geneseo, Canandaigua and other locations in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region.
Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.
The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to discuss on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].