On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Alabama office will host a voting summit in Mobile.
The summit dubbed the, “2024 Beyond The Vote Summit”, will be done in collaboration with the League of Women Voters and the Mobile County NAACP. The location of the event will be at the auditorium of Bishop State Community College.
The goal of the event is to increase voter education particularly for younger voters and attempt to mobilize voters.
SPLC’s Alabama State Office Director Tafeni English-Relf spoke about hearing and listening to the concerns of young people.
“Seeing young people’s frustration with the political process is not new,” English-Relf stated. “This same frustration fueled the Civil Rights Movement, which forced a national conversation that earned Blacks their right to vote in 1965. The Beyond the Vote Summit meets young people where they are by honestly answering their questions, addressing concerns, and encouraging them to contribute to the system that will either define or undermine their future.”
As this is an election year many discussions will continue to be had with communities throughout Alabama. There is already a bill making it’s way through the legislature currently that would criminalize aspects of absentee ballot voting, a measure which critics and voting rights organizations deem voter suppression.
