Chelsey Jones
Staff Writer
The Jackson State University Delta Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., sponsored a voter registration Hotspot on the Gibbs-Green Pedestrian Walkway on Sept. 16 in conjunction with the Mississippi State Conference NAACP.
NAACP student interns and Delta Phi members encouraged students to register to vote during a spirited Hotspot were they distributed informational pamphlets and popsicles to the student.
Austin Warren, a sophomore finance major and member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. explained why his fraternity chose to sponsor the voter registration drive.
“Being that it is an important election year, we, the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., sponsored a voter’s registration drive in lieu of our national program ‘The Voteless People is a Helpless People,’” said Warren.
Kesicia Dickinson, a senior criminal justice major and NAACP interns also stressed the importance of millennials voting.
“Millennials are the largest generation to date and we represent over 25 percent of the electorate; however a large percent of the generation do not vote for various reasons,” said Dickinson. “So the most exciting part of the event for me was being able to share with students the importance of voting, answer any questions that they have, and registering them on the spot.”
The last day to register to vote in the state of Mississippi is Oct. 8. Election day for the 2016 Presidential race takes place on Nov. 8.
Students should also be aware that Mississippi has Voter ID laws. According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website: All Mississippians voting at the polls are required to show a photo ID card. Individuals voting in person by absentee ballot in person in the Circuit Clerk’s office are also required to show a photo ID.
Eligible voters casting an absentee ballot by mail do NOT have to show a photo ID. Also, overseas and uniformed military voting by absentee ballot by mail, email or fax do not have to show a photo ID.
Any one of the following types of photo IDs may be used on Election Day:
1. A driver’s license
2. A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
3. A United States passport
4. A government employee ID card
5. A firearms license
6. A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
7. A United States military ID
8. A tribal photo ID
9. Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government
10. A Mississippi Voter Identification Card
Photos by Muhammad Hassan
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