San Antonio – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People led a multi-organization voter registration drive at Chatman’s Chicken in San Antonio on Saturday.
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. San Antonio Chapter and The Links, Incorporated of San Antonio worked with the NAACP San Antonio branch to encourage all people to vote. This year, the organizations are putting an emphasis on getting more women registered.
“It’s important to vote because everything that goes on in the city of San Antonio or Bexar County is affected by someone who’s either been elected or appointed,” said NAACP Political Action Chair, K Collier.
According to records from the Bexar County Elections Department, 48,234 people registered to vote between March 1 and September 23. Out of that number, more than half (24,319) are women.
Of those, 13,358 are women between 18-years-old and 20-years-old, and 10,961 are women between 25-years-old and 34-years-old.
In part of carrying on womanhood traditions, The Links, Inc. member Yvonne Horn Clemons brought along her 95-year-old mother who has spent decades registering women to vote.
“One of the things that she taught me as a young child was the importance of being involved. We have no other way of being at the table and making our voice known other than through our vote,” said Clemons.
NAACP life member Maria Greene explained why it’s crucial for the community to plan ahead of Election Day.
“We need for people to go early to the polls because if there are any problems that they encounter, they have an opportunity to rectify it,” said Greene.
The early voting period is scheduled for Oct. 24 - Nov. 4.