Midterm elections are happening on November 8. With eight amendments, state senators, and much more on the ballot, it’s essential that all of us, especially young people get out and make our voices heard by voting. One organization is working to ensure that young people, especially young Black and brown people, have access to their voting sites and can vote early.
Young People Vote, a nonpartisan state-based civic engagement and movement-building organization, will host a “Bike N Vote” initiative on Friday, October 28, at 4:00 p.m. The organization will provide free bikes for the community and meet at the Jetlife headquarters, 1540 Canal St., and ride to New Orleans City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., to vote during early voting for local elections. Remember to bring a picture ID.
“Voting is a part of our right as humans and our ancestors fought for years to uphold the integrity and equity of the vote. We must continue those efforts throughout the years,” said Morgan Walker, Young People Vote Founder, in a press release. “We understand that closing the race and age gap in participation won’t be easy, but our work is dedicated to that mission through our grassroots tactics, social media creativity, and strategic partnerships, which allow people to have the power over politics, as it was designed to do.”
Young People Vote was founded in 2020 when founder Morgan Walker saw the need to mobilize young people and get them to the voting booths. Recognizing that voting is powerful, Young People Vote works year-round to create a more accessible, inclusive, and representative democracy for young people of color. Over the past two years, in partnership with “Bike N Vote”, Young People Vote has engaged and registered young people who believe that their voices have been muzzled in the democratic process.
In partnership with “Bike N Vote”, Young People Vote has engaged and registered enthusiastic young people who want their voices included. This year alone, organizers have helped 315 Black voters in New Orleans between the ages 16 and 24 register to vote through its program “Bike N Register,” which includes a community bike ride to small businesses across New Orleans providing voter registration forms, voter information, and other resources to the community.
Check out this voting portal if you can’t participate in this event but would like information on voting and early voting.
