HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — You can go viral for just about anything these days. But, some groups in the Tennessee Valley are trying to get ‘voting’ to go viral. They’ll even bring the registration right to your neighborhood. They say casting your vote in the primaries could be more crucial now than ever.
We met with Angela Curry, Executive Director of United Women of Color based out of Huntsville. She tells our reporter, “We need voting to go viral. We have this ‘virus’... and so the ‘Vote Gone Viral’ theme was born.
United Women of Color Huntsville, Vote Huntsville, and Indivisible 5th District have been holding drives and clinics across the Valley to register people to vote. Now, they’re teaming up for the ‘Vote Gone Viral’ campaign to get people excited about voting, and assist people in filling out absentee ballots for the November primaries.
Curry says, “But, the absentee ballot process is a complicated one. So we as facilitators want to help remove that burden also."
She's right. The absentee ballot process requires multiple steps. Sometimes, even something as simple as lack of postage or a being unable to provide a copy of your identification for the absentee ballot application can cause delay in the process. But, the campaign has ironed out these issues with their individual voter clinics. Curry says, “To help remove that barrier, we have the clinics. People can have their ID’s copied at the clinics and given to them immediately so they can process their application.”
She adds, "Postage is also available, because it’s a dollar and twenty cents to mail the ballot and some people just put two stamps-- and then it’ll be sent back.”
The 'Vote Gone Viral' campaign is aimed toward assisting disenfranchised voters and those who are at heightened risk of complications due to COVID-19. Angela Curry says, You shouldn’t have to choose between your health and our right to vote.”
Because of that, the ‘Vote Gone Viral’ campaign will bring a registration event to YOU. All you have to do is contact them and let them know if your neighborhood is in need. Curry tells our reporter, "They can give use a call at (256) 384-8787, and we have a scheduler who will put them on the calendar.”
Curry urges people not to be discouraged by the mail-in voting confusion we’ve seen so far. She says everyone needs to cast their vote. And these groups will be here to help. She adds, "There are no limits to where we will go. We are doing everything from a socially distant, CDC guideline standpoint to ensure we all stay healthy and we can continue to do this through November.”
