Alabama State University students showed their commitment to civic engagement on Sunday, Oct. 27, by hosting a vibrant “Get-Out-the-Vote” telephone bank. The event took place at the John Garrick Hardy Student Center Ballroom, where over 100 undergraduate volunteers made calls to registered voters in Alabama’s newly established second congressional district, urging them to participate in the general election scheduled for Nov. 5.
The students’ two-hour phone banking effort reached thousands of voters across the district, which stretches from Montgomery to Mobile. This grassroots initiative reflects ASU’s commitment to fostering democratic participation among young voters and highlights the significance of civic responsibility.
Several notable figures joined the enthusiastic student body, including ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr.; Shomari Figures, the Democratic nominee for the District-2 seat in the U.S. Congress; Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-District-7); Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas); and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. Each speaker underscored the importance of the students’ involvement in the electoral process.
Encouraging Students’ Involvement
President Ross commended the students for their dedication. “We are here for a very special occasion which is speaking to the registered voters in District-2 and working to see that they vote in what may be one of the most important elections in modern political history,” Ross remarked.
Figures emphasized the vital role that young people play in shaping democracy. “By you students being here today on a Sunday and calling voters in the newly formed District-2 in Congress and reminding them to vote on Nov. 5, is important to both the voters and for your future,” he said. “By the mere fact that you are enrolled in The Alabama State University tells me that you care about democracy, which is important to all of us in Alabama and throughout the United States…by working together, we will shape the future in a positive way.”
Congresswoman Crockett, who has represented a portion of the Dallas metro area since 2023, urged the students to use their influence to motivate peers and friends to go to the polls.
“We need you to not only talk to voters, but to get involved in posting the importance of voting on the Tik-Toc,” she stated. “You Gen – Z voters are among the most important folks voting in the upcoming general election and by doing so, you will help make sure that we are not bamboozled by the Republicans and don’t go down the disastrous path that would take place if they get elected. I am here to ask you to support my friend Shomari Figures because with his election to the Congress, we come that much closer to taking back our majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as keeping a Democrat as President and in keeping our majority in the U.S. Senate.”
