By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
On Sun., Nov. 3, First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Seattle/Auburn (FAME), the oldest church founded by African Americans in Seattle, will host a “Bring Your Ballot to Church” event. The event, which will take place at FAME located at 1522 14th Ave in Seattle, is designed to make sure that the voices of our community are heard and to show that every vote matters in the upcoming general election.
According to Desley Brooks, Chairperson of the FAME Social Action Committee, attendees are encouraged to bring their completed ballots to church for a brief message on civic engagement, and then join a community walk to a local election drop box where they can submit their ballots. Brooks says that the event is open to everyone, including local residents, faith organizations, and supporters of voting rights, with the only requirement is that all participants are of legal voting age.
“On this day, we are telling all the members of our congregation and asking all the churches [in the area] to have their congregants bring their completed ballot to church, and then at the end of service we will walk collectively to our ballot box and drop our ballots in the box,” says Brooks. “We want to show a united front and show that churches believe that this is an important election and an important statement for us to make as a community.”
“I am hopeful that there is going to be a good turnout in terms of the members from the church. Hopefully, some of our community’s young people will participate in this event,” she continued. “Presidential elections have a greater turnout, but there is not 100% turnout, and we want to make sure that our voices are heard, number one, and that we can play a critical role in the direction of our country. Just imagine if we had all the churches across Seattle walking to their ballot box to drop their ballots in, and what kind of statement that would make.”
This event provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that your vote counts while engaging in voter education and walking alongside fellow community members in solidarity.
“This is an election that is historic for any number of reasons, but we want to make sure that we play a part in this history-making. We are coming out as a unified front to cast our ballots and increase voter turnout,” Brooks said. “Every vote will matter in this election, and we want to make sure no vote is left undone.”
The Commission on Social Action Committee (CSA) at First AME Church serves to promote leadership, advocacy, and empowerment. The committee focuses on addressing social concerns affecting both the church body and the surrounding community. As Chairperson, Brooks noted that although the committee is in the process of reconstitution, they work regularly to educate people about voting.
“Since we are reconstituting, we have only been meeting for about a month, but we have done a number of things,” says Brooks. “We do a vote minute every week to educate people about voting, how to create a plan, and getting organized about doing something in this election, as Michelle Obama said. We hosted a debate watch party, currently working on the bring your ballot to church event, and then we will be hosting a watch party on election night at the church.”
Recognizing the significance of this year’s Presidential election, Pastor Carey Anderson emphasized that the historic Black church has always been at the forefront of social and political change. He urged the community to participate in the “Bring Your Ballot to Church” event, noting that every vote is crucial to achieving the changes the community seeks.
“This is a pivotal election cycle where the presidency of the United States is on the line, and we need a concerted effort to get everyone out to vote this season to put [people in office who will] preserve and protect our Constitution and serve the people of the United States of America,” says Anderson.
